At the Ready Magazine - A Magazine for First Responders

Intro - April 2018

At the Ready Magazine — Sun, 01 Apr 2018 00:49:34 +0000

Welcome to April. We are so excited to present the first issue of Volume V! At the Ready begins it’s 5th year and we appreciate all of our readers, contributors, and supporters for helping us get to this milestone. We look forward to serving you as, “the voice for those who respond first” for years to come.

In this issue we are tackling a pretty touchy topic: Compensation. We ask the bold question, “Are you paid a living wage?”

At the Ready’s Mike Kennedy took a deep look at “How the Fields Fare.” We looked across the spectrum of most common first responder disciplines, Law Enforcement, Firefighters, Emergency Medical Services Providers, Dispatchers, and Corrections Officers. And the results were, well, startling. Starting with the Methodology article, Mike breaks down the concept of a state’s, “living wage” definition, which is different from the U.S. federal poverty guidelines. Then, step by step each discipline was analyzed and checked, and re-checked. The data speaks for itself.

While working on this issue, we recognize that many, many responders volunteer and receive no regular compensation at all. Perhaps a “per diem” or “per call” amount but responding is not their full-time career. For those that do work in public safety full-time, however, many do not make what MIT has determined is a “living wage” in their state. Understand this is the “mean” or “average” wage paid, so some make more, and some make less. This doesn’t necessarily include any mandatory overtime either. But for public safety professionals, this may give us pause.

Don’t forget to check out our regular feature, At the Resource, because we provided some great financial planning and opportunities for public safety professionals, including information on Public Service Loan Forgiveness of your federal student loans. Chief Avsec brings a very important article, At the Ready Thought Leadership: Regardless of Sex, Harassment is all about Power. Finally, we are introducing our newest feature written by Jim Sharp, At the Ready: Solutions. First up? Having a Plan Is Not Planning.

Enjoy the issue. We have a feature that allows you to subscribe to our magazine, using your email, which of course we will never sell, trade, auction, reveal, or provide to anyone else. Ever. So, make sure you click the “subscribe” button and ensure you never miss an article! After all, for five years now, we are here to help you stay At the Ready.

Warm Regards,

Dawn

Having a Plan is not Planning

At the Ready Magazine — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 23:07:22 +0000

by Jim Sharp

I’ll bet you have an emergency operations plan. Considering the nature of this publication, its contributors, and its readership, that bet is as close to a sure thing as I’ll ever get. Your plan is undoubtedly a good plan; perhaps even a great plan. You may have put your plan into effect at some point, either during an exercise or as part of a real-world event, and so have proved its value. Those of you who have been in the emergency management profession for a while might recall the days when the plan itself was the objective. Once the plan was “complete,” the planner’s job was essentially done. And those plans were show-pieces. The highlight of an emergency planner’s day occurred when someone walked into his or her office and asked to see THE PLAN. “Really?” the emergency manager would reply, “You want to see THE PLAN? Absolutely!” THE PLAN would then be ceremoniously brought forth; large binders full of slickly-produced photographs, graphs, maps, charts, and spreadsheets. THE PLAN existed, and we were therefore prepared – or so went the thinking of the time.

But “having a plan” and the actual function of planning are not synonymous.

In the context of the Incident Command System, the term “planning” usually refers to the planning process: What are our incident objectives? What tactics should we use to accomplish those objectives? What resources will we need? Who will accomplish the objectives, and within what time frame? All of that is absolutely necessary, but it is also analogous to our attempting to impose our will on the incident. What would we like to accomplish? What would we like to have happen? That’s understandable – and necessary - it’s how we bring order out of chaos. Yet we often seem so invested in deciding on what we’d like to see happen, and how we’d like to make it happen, that we often lose sight of the fact that some things are just beyond our control. Along with asking what we’d like to have happen, we should be asking what might happen next. What are the consequences of our actions? What happens once we accomplish an objective, and conversely, what happens if we don’t? How well can we, if not predict, then at least foresee cascading events?

For example, we may list as an incident objective, “Notify all residents of the Green Valley Subdivision to evacuate their homes not later than 1600 hours, 11/01/2017.” That seems straightforward on the surface, but it’s not that simple. What happens once we make those notifications, or what happens if we don’t? Let’s say we accomplish that objective – our notifications have been made. We’ve told people to get out. Have we given them any directions regarding where they should go, what evacuation route(s) to use, or how long they might be out of their homes? If we have not done those things, we may have simply shifted the location of our victims from their neighborhoods to somewhere else.

Conversely, let’s say we did not accomplish that objective. Why? Did people not receive our notification? Did they receive but chose to ignore our notification? Did they not understand what we were asking them to do? Those are questions – serious questions – for the after-action report, but in the heat of the moment the “why” doesn’t really matter. What matters is that we have not completed our objective and there are people in harm’s way. Their inability or unwillingness to do what we needed them to do does not absolve us of our responsibility. Nor can we just push it off until the next operational period, so what happens next? How will they communicate a need, or how will we communicate an evolving threat? What resources might we need for eventual rescue operations?

Planning is not guesswork. Planning should be data-driven. When you consider the amount of raw historical data and forecasting tools available today, planning must be data-driven. Flooding is something many jurisdictions experiences, so we’ll use that for an example. You have a record of previous flood events and the responses to those events. Within your jurisdiction’s experience you know where the levees are, how high they are, where they are most likely to be overtopped, what river levels result in overtopping, and what areas flood once overtopping has occurred. But you’ve (fortunately) never had a levee fail, so how should you plan for that?

First and foremost, what are the chances of a levee failure? You would need to know when your levees were constructed, what their estimated lifespans were at that time, and whether or not the levees have been brought closer to potential failure due to the floods they have withstood. How many times can that levee be exposed to the river in major flood stage and maintain its structural integrity? If, each time the river reaches major flood stage, the levee is brought a little bit closer to failure, how many of those events can the levee tolerate? What about flow rates? In the event of a levee breach, will the flood plain behind it be inundated at the same rate as it would if the levee were overtopped? Will it flood faster? How much faster, and what effect will this have on public information, evacuation, etc.?

Threat Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA) is a continuous process. Therefor the planning cycle, exemplified by the ubiquitous “Planning P” flow-chart diagram hanging in many an EOC, should exist throughout the day-to-day functioning of your agency or department. Just as objectives and circumstances change as your incident evolves, objectives and circumstances are constantly evolving within the communities we serve. Planning is on-going and flexible – and inclusive; inclusive of the agencies who will be involved in operations and inclusive of all aspects of your community. Will people behave the way you expect them to behave, or follow your instructions during an emergency or disaster? Do they have access to the technology you assume they have? Ask them.

First responders, when we arrive on-scene at an incident, perform an initial size-up: What has happened? What resources might we need? Who and what is involved? Yet while incidents come and go, communities remain, and therefore we should always be “sizing up” the communities we serve, because those communities are not static. They grow. They change. They evolve. And as emergency managers we and our organizations must grow, must change, and must evolve with them in order to assure that we are continually mission ready. For example:

Population demographics change. Perhaps you’ve experienced an influx of young families with children. What might that mean? It might mean that the number of children in the schools within your jurisdiction is increasing, which equates to larger number of kids to worry about in the event of severe weather, a HazMat incident, an earthquake, etc. It may also mean a larger investment on your part in public education - getting out of the office and into those schools to make sure those kids (and the adults responsible for them) are aware of the hazards they may face and armed with the knowledge about how to respond.

Even if your population numbers remain relatively constant, population densities can change over time. A new assisted living facility may have been built, resulting in several hundred people now living in a part of town that used to be inhabited by just a few dozen. The construction of a large apartment complex might have the same effect.

Have you seen an increase in aging or retired people? Would you know? If so, they may not be as tech-savvy as is much of the population, so all your social media based warnings, advisories, and education may not be reaching them as effectively as you’d like – or believe. What about people who speak a primary language other than English? All your newspaper articles, interviews, tweets, posts, printed materials, and messages through automated systems don’t mean anything to someone who doesn’t understand the language - and no one should become a victim just because of a language barrier.

Maybe there has been a change in average household income. Again, would you know? One (or several) large employers may have closed, or downsized, and unemployment is rising. This is absolutely a planning consideration. Families experiencing difficulties providing the basic necessities will probably not have the resources to stock the 72-hour supply kit we’ve been pushing for more than a decade, and so may be wholly dependent upon resources other than their own. A family making every penny count may have just enough gas in the car to get back and forth to work until payday. If we’re instructing them to evacuate, will they? Can they?

In the end, your plan (and your planning) directly affect two groups of people. The first group are the people who will have to implement your plan. If they have not played a role in helping to develop that plan, or if the first time they’re seeing it in its final form is when you activate it, your outcome will not be as good as it could or should be. The second group consists of the people the plan will affect. Does it really help them? Does your plan actually improve, or at least stabilize, the situation in which they find themselves? As with implementation, if these people have not played a role in developing that plan, your outcome will likely be less than optimal.

Research Foundation and Methodology for Living Wage Analysis

At the Ready Magazine — Sun, 25 Mar 2018 23:35:32 +0000

Our intent here is to report on At the Ready’s findings from our research into how the salaries of the first responder fields fare in all 50 states and Washington D.C.

What is a living wage? The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) living wage model was developed as an alternative way (as opposed to poverty rate data) to describe economic conditions in a given state. MIT describes it as “market-based approach that draws upon geographically specific expenditure data related to a family’s likely minimum food, childcare, health insurance, housing, transportation, and other necessities (e.g. clothing, personal care items, etc.) costs. The living wage draws on these cost elements and the rough effects of income and payroll taxes to determine the minimum employment earnings necessary to meet a family’s basic needs while also maintaining self-sufficiency.”

To gain an understanding of how responders fare when it comes to salary we compared the mean salary, in each state; from Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data, against the living wage in each state, as calculated by the MIT living wage model (2018). Although we initially considered weighing heavily the cost of living for each state in our analysis, we chose not to because MIT’s living wage is specific to each state. Therefore, the fact that it costs more to live in D.C. or California than it does to live in Mississippi or Ohio is irrelevant. The cost of living for a state or states was only considered when it helped explain why, possibly, responders there are not being paid a living wage. The salary data is from May 2016, the latest year available.

The living wages used for this analysis represent the income needed to support two adults and one child. While the living wage model can describe the wage for other family compositions, such as two adults with two children, it made more sense to use the living wage for two adults and one child because, according to Statista, the average American family size in 2017 was 3.14 people. The living wage data is drawn from "This Is How Much A Living Wage Is in Each State" by Chris Kolmar on the Zippia web site. We submit that it is possible that, had 2017 or 2018 BLS mean salary data been available, our results could have been different. It is important to note that the mean salary data does not include overtime pay. The BLS data is a mean; the salaries of some are lower, and some are higher.

Although we initially considered weighing heavily the cost of living for each state in our analysis, we chose not to because MIT’s living wage is specific to each state. Therefore, the fact that it costs more to live in D.C. or California than it does to live in Mississippi or Ohio is irrelevant. The cost of living for a state or states was only considered when it helped explain why, possibly, responders there are not being paid a living wage. The salary data is from May 2016, the latest year available. The living wages used for this analysis represent the income needed to support two adults and one child. While the living wage model can describe the wage for other family compositions, such as two adults with two children, it made more sense to use the living wage for two adults and one child living wage because, according to Statista, the average American family size in 2017 was 3.14 people. We submit that it is possible that, had 2017 or 2018 BLS mean salary data been available in the Zippia data, that our results could have been different. It is important to note that the mean salary data does not include overtime pay. The BLS data is a mean; the salaries of some are lower, and some are higher.

The impact of the Patrol Officer, Dispatcher, EMT, Firefighter, or Corrections Officer not being paid a living wage will vary, of course, depending upon the category in which the family falls. If the spouse of the patrol officer also works, they probably do not have much of a problem making ends meet. The impact of not being paid a living wage is lessened by the spouse’s additional income.

Salaries, regardless of occupation, are generally market driven. The employer generally will pay a worker at or close to the wage that other employers are paying similar workers for the same job. This is just the way it has always been done. However, given the results of this analysis perhaps it makes more sense to use the living wage as a guide for determining salaries for police and sheriff patrol officers, at least in the states with lower costs of living.

Paid Firefighters: Are You Being Paid a Living Wage?

At the Ready Magazine — Sun, 25 Mar 2018 23:25:40 +0000

by Mike Kennedy

Any discussion about Firefighter compensation on a national level must begin with the acknowledgement that, of the estimated 1,160,450 local Firefighters in the U.S. (2015), 814,850 (70%) are volunteers ₍₁₎. In other words, they perform the duties and carry the responsibilities of a fire department for free. The other 30 percent of those Firefighters are paid. This article is about them. Did you know that in 33 states the mean salary of these brave men and women is less than a living wage? Did you know that in 14 of those states, their mean salary is more than $10,000 less than the living wage?

The analysis of mean salaries for paid Firefighters revealed that, in 33 states Firefighters making the mean salary are not paid a living wage. In New Hampshire, West Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, Wisconsin, New Mexico, Louisiana, Kansas, and Utah, the mean salary for Firefighters is between $10,000 and $15,000 less than the living wage for their respective states.

In Vermont, Maine, North Carolina, and Minnesota the gap between mean salary and living wage is even wider. The mean salary in Vermont is $15,117 less than the living wage; in Maine, $17,925 less than the living wage; in North Carolina it is $15,245 less; and in Minnesota the mean firefighter salary is $17,345 less than the living wage.

In some states, the mean Firefighter salary is just a little more than the living wage for the respective states. In Massachusetts for example, the mean salary is $59,650.00 and the state’s living wage is $59,560; a difference of only $90. The mean Firefighter salary in Ohio is $44,970 and the living wage there is $45,853. Firefighters making the mean salary in Ohio are being paid $883 more than the living wage. In Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Montana, Firefighters making the mean salary are being paid between $2,000 and $3,000 more than the living wage.

The mean salaries in Illinois, Texas, Nebraska, Missouri and Alaska are between $3,000 and $5,000 more than the living wage. Mean Firefighter salaries in New York, Pennsylvania, and Nevada are between $5,000 and $10, 000 more than the living wage. Mean salaries in the west are the highest in the country, with Oregon mean salary at $10,630 more than the living wage; California at $14, 475 more than the living wage, and Washington, where the mean salary is $17,659 more than the living wage.

The impact of Firefighters not being paid a living wage will vary, of course, depending upon the category in which the family falls. If the spouse of the Firefighter also works, they probably do not have much of a problem making ends meet. The impact of not being paid a living wage is lessened by the spouse’s additional income.

State	Annual Mean Wage	Hourly Mean Wage	State Living Wage	Living Wage +/-	Overtime Hours Needed
Connecticut	$61,730.00		$59,502	+$2,228
Massachusetts	$59,650.00		$59,560	+$90
Rhode Island	$55,820.00		$53,240	+$2,580
New Hampshire	$44,260.00	$21.28	$55,103	-$10,843	339.7
Vermont	$36,860.00	$17.72	$51,977	-$15,117	568.7
Maine	$33,380.00	$16.05	$51,305	-$17,925	744.4
New Jersey	$81,730.00		$56,109	+$25,621
New York	$68,850.00		$59,128	+$9,722
Washington D.C.	Not available		$67,867
Delaware	$45,730.00	$21.98	$53,112	-$7,382	223.9
Pennsylvania	$55,260.00		$49,914	+$5,346
Maryland	$58,100.00	$27.93	$58,178	-$78	1.9
Virginia	$50,240.00	$24.15	$54,264	-$4,024	111
West Virginia	$32,200.00	$15.48	$44,823	-$12,263	528.1
Florida	$50,780.00	$24.41	$52,206	-$1,426	38.9
North Carolina	$34,330.00	$16.50	$49,575	-$15,245	616
Tennessee	$39,560.00	$19.02	$46,785	-$7,225	253.2
Alabama	$40,450.00	$19.45	$45,824	-$5,375	184.2
Kentucky	$34,030.00	$16.36	$43,308	-$9,278	378
South Carolina	$34,760.00	$16.71	$46,568	-$11,808	471
Georgia	$35,280.00	$16.96	$47,946	-$12,666	497.9
Mississippi	$31,430.00	$15.11	$46,084	-$14,654	646.4
Illinois	$55,460.00		$52,304	+$3,156
Minnesota	$34,770.00	$25.06	$52,115	-$17,345	461.4
Wisconsin	$37,300.00	$17.93	$51,120	-$13,820	513.75
Ohio	$44,970.00		$45,853	+$883
Michigan	$44,590.00	$21.44	$48,837	-$4,247	132
Indiana	$46,620.00	$22.41	$46,838	-$218	6.5
Texas	$51,230.00		$48,160	+$3,070
New Mexico	$35,200.00	$16.92	$48,050	-$12,850	506.3
Oklahoma	$42,490.00	$20.43	$46,613	-$4,123	134.5
Louisiana	$33,530.00	$16.12	$47,975	-$14,445	597.4
Arkansas	$35,590.00	$17.11	$44,571	-$8,981	349.9
Iowa	$40,740.00	$19.59	$48,882	-$8,142	277
Nebraska	$52,600.00		$48,076	$4,524
Missouri	$50,940.00		$46,159	$4,781
Kansas	$36,890.00	$17.74	$48,054	-$11,164	419.5
Colorado	$51,660.00	$24.83	$53,792	-$2,132	57.2
Wyoming	$45,100.00	$21.68	$47,951	-$2,851	87.7
North Dakota	$45,330.00	$21.79	$46,814	-$1,484	45.4
Montana	$49,310.00		$47,083	$2,227
Utah	$34,340.00	$16.51	$47,922	-$13,582	548.3
South Dakota	$43,060.00	$20.70	$45,410	-$2,350	75.7
California	$71,790.00		$57,315	$14,475
Nevada	$62,220.00		$52,698	$9,522
Hawaii	$56,470.00	$27.15	$60,700	-$4,230	103.9
Arizona	$45,230.00	$21.74	$51,341	-$6,111	187.4
Alaska	$58,420.00		$54,400	$4,020
Washington	$68,930.00		$51,271	$17,659
Oregon	$62,530.00		$51,900	$10,630
Idaho	$38,940.00	$18.72	$45,801	-$6,861	244.4

Editor's Note: We used mean salary Data from BLS and the Living Wage data from MIT’s living wage model; if you'd like to scrutinize our methology, then please click here for an in-depth article detailing it.

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About the Author

Mike Kennedy is a frequent contributor to At the Ready Magazine. He is a former Airborne Ranger Infantryman and after the Army spent fourteen years working for the U.S. Army Maneuver Battle as an Experimentation Manager, where he routinely worked with Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Robotic Systems-Joint Project Office, Aviation and Missile Research Development and Engineering Center and numerous other government labs to develop and test new equipment and concepts designed to make Soldier’s lives better. At the Battle Lab, Mike managed and supervised the execution of experiments, data collection procedures, analysis of raw data and presentation of results in written form for Army decision makers. He personally planned, coordinated, and executed more than 80 unmanned systems experimentation events. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from American Military University. Mike’s professional training includes the Test and Evaluation Basic Course, Project Management, Scheduling and Cost Control, Advanced Techniques of Project Management, Fundamentals of Systems Acquisition Management, Capabilities Based Planning, Business Case Analysis, and the Army Capabilities Development Course.

Dispatchers: Are You Being Paid a Living Wage?

At the Ready Magazine — Sun, 25 Mar 2018 22:49:13 +0000

by Mike Kennedy

Approximately 240 million 911 calls are made each year₍₁₎. Think about that for a minute- that’s roughly 657,534 calls to 911 every day. For many of the 657,534 people who called 911, it was the worst day of their lives. In 2016 (the last year of complete data available) alone, there were 17,250 Murders, 95,730 Rapes, 332,198 Robberies, and 803,007 Aggravated Assaults₍₂₎ in the United States.

Do you ever think about the person on the other end of the phone line when you call 911? That calm voice that answers when you are in desperate need of help, sends help your way, and stays with you till help arrives; what is that worth? Shouldn’t the person behind the first voice you hear on your worst day make a living wage? Did you know that in 47 states and D.C. the mean salary for a Dispatcher is less than the living wage in those states? For Dispatchers in 32 of those states it’s not even close.

The analysis of mean salaries for Police, Fire, and Ambulance Dispatchers revealed that in only four states it is more than the state’s living wage. Conversely, in 47 states and D.C. the mean salary for a Dispatcher is less than a living wage; in some states it is a lot less. To use MIT’s language, a Dispatcher making less than the living wage in their state is not being paid the minimum earnings necessary to meet their family’s basic needs.

This is especially important in families where only one spouse works. In these cases, the families need to find other sources of income or work as many overtime hours as possible to meet their family’s basic needs. In separate work, the BLS found that in 2016, among American married-couple families, both the husband and wife were employed in 48.0 percent of families; in 19.5 percent of married-couple families only the husband was employed, and in 7.1 percent only the wife was employed.

The four states where the mean salary is equal to or greater than a living wage are all on the west coast. The mean salary for a Dispatcher in California is $2,725 more than California’s living wage; in Nevada $5,212 more; in Washington $3,359 more, and in Oregon the mean salary is $2,810 more than the Oregon living wage.

The cost of living might help explain this because all four states are in the top 20 highest cost of living states. For the rest of the country it is difficult to use cost of living to help explain why the mean salary is less than a living wage. For example, Hawaii, D.C. Massachusetts, New York, Alaska, and eleven other states are all also in the top 20 cost of living states, yet the mean salary in none of them is a living wage. In 32 of the states, the mean salary is more than $10,000 less than a living wage.

The greatest difference between salary and living wage is found in Mississippi, where the mean Dispatcher salary is $20,534 less than Mississippi’s living wage. The state where the mean salary of a Dispatcher is closest to a living wage is Illinois at $1,714 less. Overall, Dispatcher mean salaries vary greatly from as low as $25,550 in Mississippi ($20,534 less than the living wage) to more than twice that in D.C. where the mean Dispatcher salary is $61,050; a much higher salary than in Mississippi but still $6,817 less than the D.C. living wage.

If working overtime is the only way for Dispatchers to reach that living wage, then Dispatchers in 47 states will have to do it. The number of overtime hours needed to make up the difference between mean salary and living wage varies from a low of only 41.5 hours a year; a little less than an hour a week to 1114.8 hours of overtime in Mississippi. Think about that for just a minute. That number equates to a Dispatcher in Mississippi who makes the mean salary working 61.5 hour weeks all 52 weeks of the year.

Click here for a table that displays the annual mean wage, hourly mean wage, state living wage, the difference between the annual mean wage and the living wage for all 50 states and Washington D.C. Note: Any Dispatcher making less than the amount in the State Living Wage column is not being paid a living wage.

Note: At the Ready realizes that Dispatchers work schedules differ according to their contract. Some work 8-hour shifts, some work 10-hour shifts, and some work 12-hour shifts, all according to their contract. Overtime also is worked and paid according to the contract.

State	Annual Mean Wage	Hourly Mean Wage	State Living Wage	Living Wage +/-	Overtime Hours Needed
Alabama	$32,080.00	$15.42	$45,824	-$13,744	594
Alaska	$52,820.00	$25.39	$54,400	-$1,580	41.5
Arizona	$43,830.00	$21.07	$51,341	-$7,511	237.6
Arkansas	$27,670.00	$13.30	$44,571	-$16,901	847.2
California	$60,040.00	$28.87	$57,315	+$2,725	N/A
Colorado	$47,800.00	$22.98	$53,792	-$5,992	173.8
Connecticut	$53,220.00	$25.58	$59,502	-$6,282	163.7
Delaware	$42,790.00	$20.57	$53,112	-$10,322	334.5
Florida	$39,990.00	$19.23	$52,206	-$12,216	423
Georgia	$30,590.00	$14.71	$47,946	-$17,356	786.4
Hawaii	$47,560.00	$22.87	$60,700	-$13,140	383
Idaho	$36,420.00	$17.51	$45,801	-$9,381	357
Illinois	$50,590.00	$24.32	$52,304	-$1,714	47
Indiana	$35,570.00	$17.10	$46,838	-$11,268	439
Iowa	$43,000.00	$20.67	$48,882	-$5,882	189.7
Kansas	$32,800.00	$15.77	$48,054	-$15,254	644.7
Kentucky	$33,040.00	$15.88	$43,308	-$10,268	431
Louisiana	$31,360.00	$15.07	$47,975	-$17,615	779
Maine	$39,800.00	$19.13	$51,305	-$11,505	401
Maryland	$44,520.00	$21.40	$58,178	-$13,658	425.5
Massachusetts	$46,220.00	$22.22	$59,560	-$13,340	400.2
Michigan	$40,630.00	$19.53	$48,837	-$8,207	280
Minnesota	$50,390.00	$24.23	$52,115	-$1,725	47.5
Mississippi	$25,550.00	$12.28	$46,084	-$20,534	1114.8
Missouri	$35,440.00	$17.04	$46,159	-$10,719	419
Montana	$35,920.00	$17.27	$47,083	-$11,163	430.8
Nebraska	$35,000.00	$16.83	$48,076	-$13,076	517.9
Nevada	$57,910.00	$27.84	$52,698	+$5,212	N/A
New Hampshire	$42,540.00	$20.45	$55,103	-$12,563	409.5
New Jersey	$45,110.00	$21.69	$56,109	-$10,999	338
New Mexico	$34,920.00	$16.79	$48,050	-$13,130	521
New York	$46,240.00	$22.23	$59,128	-$12,888	386
North Carolina	$34,510.00	$16.59	$49,575	-$15,605	627.7
North Dakota	$41,050.00	$19.74	$46,814	-$5,764	194.7
Ohio	$41,800.00	$20.09	$45,853	-$4,053	134.5
Oklahoma	$30,780.00	$14.80	$46,613	-$15,833	713
Oregon	$54,710.00	$26.30	$51,900	+$2,810	N/A
Pennsylvania	$36,690.00	$17.64	$49,914	-$13,224	499.8
Rhode Island	$44,160.00	$21.23	$53,240	-$9,080	285
South Carolina	$31,600.00	$15.19	$46,568	-$14,968	656.8
South Dakota	$32,820.00	$15.78	$45,410	-$12,590	531.9
Tennessee	$34,880.00	$16.77	$46,785	-$11,905	473
Texas	$36,820.00	$17.70	$48,160	-$11,340	427
Utah	$37,040.00	$17.81	$47,922	-$10,822	405
Vermont	$40,540.00	$19.49	$51,977	-$11,437	391
Virginia	$38,780.00	$18.64	$54,264	-$15,484	553.8
Washington	$54,630.00	$26.26	$51,271	+$3,359	N/A
Washington D.C.	$61,050.00	$29.35	$67,867	-$6,817	155
West Virginia	$28,900.00	$13.89	$44,823	-$15,923	764
Wisconsin	$42,900.00	$20.63	$51,120	-$8,220	265.6
Wyoming	$40,650.00	$19.54	$47,951	-$7,301	249

_{1. https://www.nena.org/?page=911Statistics

2. https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2016/crime-in-the-u.s.-2016/topic-p...}

About the Author

Corrections Officers: Are You Being Paid a Living Wage?

At the Ready Magazine — Sun, 25 Mar 2018 22:18:03 +0000

by Mike Kennedy

In a typical work environment, you do your job, surrounded by any number of other people a lot like you. All of you work toward the common goal of making something, selling something, making something better or fixing something. On most days, you and your coworkers do the job with a smile on your face, are polite to each other, and help each other out. Every two weeks, you get a paycheck for your efforts, and some of you get the satisfaction of being paid more than a living wage for doing your job.

In a typical work environment for corrections officers, they do their job surrounded and outnumbered by any number of killers, rapists, child molesters, drug dealers, and thieves. They are not like you at all. In most cases, there are four more of them than there are of you. Some of them would rather stick a shank in your back than smile at you; punch you in the face rather than work toward a common goal. There is no doubt that your coworkers have your back and will fight alongside you; and you would do the same; you have to.

Now, imagine this every single day you go to work. Corrections officers get the satisfaction of knowing that they have their coworker’s back, and the coworker has theirs. Every two weeks they get a paycheck too. But how many of them get the satisfaction of being paid more than a living wage for doing their jobs? The results may shock you.

The analysis of mean salaries for Corrections Officers revealed that, in 34 states officers making the mean salary are not paid a living wage, in 12 states they are paid a living wage, and in 5 states the data was not available. The mean annual salaries in Pennsylvania, Iowa and Michigan all exceed the state living wage by less than $500.

Mean salaries in Connecticut, Minnesota, Ohio, and Hawaii are between $1,000 and $5,000 lower than the living wage. Eleven states (Vermont, Florida, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Texas, Nebraska, Wyoming, North Dakota, Montana, Utah, and Arizona) have mean salaries between $5,000 and $10,000 less than the respective living wage.

The mean salary in twelve states (New Hampshire, Maine, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Alabama, South Carolina, Indiana, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas and Kansas) is between $10,000 and $15,000 less than the respective living wage.

The gap between mean salary and living wage for Corrections Officers is the widest in D.C. There, the mean salary is $17,627 less than the living wage. Six states (North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Mississippi, New Mexico, and Missouri) also see mean salaries that are more than $15,000 less than the respective living wage.

The state where mean salaries exceed the living wage by the greatest amount is New Jersey. The mean salary of a Corrections Officer there is $15,321 more than a living wage. Corrections Officers are also faring well in Massachusetts ($6,610 more), New York ($4,122 more), Illinois ($9,756 more), California ($12,705 more), Alaska ($7,070 more), Washington ($1,659 more), Oregon ($5,050 more) and Idaho ($10,471 more).

The table below shows the annual mean wage of Corrections Officers in each state, the hourly mean wage, the state living wage, the living wage +/- and the number of overtime hours they would have to work to make a living wage.

State	Annual Mean Wage	Hourly Mean Wage	State Living Wage	Living Wage +/-	Overtime Hours Needed
Alabama	$34,760	$16.71	$45,824	-$11064	441.3
Alaska	$61,470		$54,400	+$7070
Arizona	$42,220	$20.30	$51,341	-$9121	299.5
Arkansas	$33,600	$16.15	$44,571	-$10971	452.8
California	$70,020		$57,315	+12705
Colorado	Not available		$53,792	N/A
Connecticut	$54,540	$26.22	$59,502	-$4962	126.2
Washington D.C.	$50,240	$24.15	$67,867	-$17627	486.5
Delaware	Not available		$53,112	N/A
Florida	$42,360	$20.37	$52,206	-$9846	322.2
Georgia	$31,690	$15.24	$47,946	-$16256	723
Hawaii	$57,010	$27.41	$60,700	-$3690	89.7
Idaho	$35,330		$45,801	+10471
Illinois	$62,060		$52,304	+$9756
Indiana	$33,210	$15.97	$46,838	-$13268	553.8
Iowa	$49,170		$48,882	+$288
Kansas	$34,520	$16.60	$48,054	-$13543	543.9
Kentucky	$34,430	$16.55	$43,308	-$8878	357.6
Louisiana	$34,990	$16.82	$47,975	-$12985	514.7
Maine	$39,400	$18.94	$51,305	-$11905	419
Maryland	$47,050	$22.62	$58,178	-$11128	328
Massachusetts	$66,170		$59,560	+$6610
Michigan	$49,050		$48,837	+$213
Minnesota	$48,990	$23.55	$52,115	-$3125	88.5
Mississippi	$27,260	$13.11	$46,084	-$18824	957
Missouri	$30,310	$14.57	$46,159	-$15849	725
Montana	$37,810	$18.18	$47,083	-$9273	340
Nebraska	$40,050	$19.25	$48,076	-$8026	277.9
Nevada	Not available		$52,698	N/A
New Hampshire	$44,000	$21.15	$55,103	-$11103	350
New Jersey	$71,430		$56,109	+$15321
New Mexico	$33,010	$15.87	$48,050	-$15040	631.7
New York	$63,250		$59,128	+4122
North Carolina	$34,310	$16.50	$49,575	-$15265	616.8
North Dakota	$40,900	$19.66	$46,814	-$5914	200.5
Ohio	$43,360	$20.84	$45,853	-$2493	79.8
Oklahoma	$33,950	$16.32	$46,613	-$12663	517.3
Oregon	$56,950		$51,900	+$5050
Pennsylvania	$50,380		$49,914	+$466
Rhode Island	Not available		$53,240	N/A
South Carolina	$34,040	$16.36	$46,568	-$12528	510.5
South Dakota	Not available		$45,410	N/A
Tennessee	$31,770	$15.27	$46,785	-$15015	655.4
Texas	$40,910	$19.67	$48,160	-$7250	272
Utah	$42,040	$20.21	$47,922	-$5882	194
Vermont	$43,170	$20.75	$51,977	-$8807	282.9
Virginia	$39,720	$19.09	$54,264	-$14544	507.8
Washington	$52,930		$51,271	+$1659
West Virginia	$33,990	$16.34	$44,823	-$10833	442
Wisconsin	$43,270	$20.80	$51,120	-$7850	251.6
Wyoming	$42,870	$20.61	$47,951	-$5081	164.3

About the Author

At the Region - EMS - 7 - FEMA Region VII - Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska

At the Ready Magazine — Sun, 25 Mar 2018 03:46:42 +0000

At the Region

At the Region is an ongoing feature that discusses the state-by-state training, certification and employment requirements of first responder departments across the nation. In this issue, At the Region looks at EMS requirements in FEMA Region VII: Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska.

FEMA Region VII - Emergency Medical Services (EMS)

Emergency Medical Technician certification levels result from a combination of national requirements and state-by-state regulations. All EMT training must meet minimum standards provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA); this includes fundamentals in areas such as anatomy, medicine, and trauma, but states determine the final designations and requirements. An independent organization, the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians, also provides guidelines, and, although these are not mandatory, NREMT exams are used as the basis for certification at one or more levels in 45 states. Because of the variation in training, the NREMT national certification as an EMT does not equate to a license to practice, and transferring local certification depends on state-by-state reciprocity agreements.

Iowa

The Bureau of EMS and Trauma Services under the Iowa Department of Health oversees the development, implementation, coordination, and evaluation of EMS programs in Iowa. The Bureau’s AMANDA program is the online portal for information, including a public search for EMS providers. Eligible applicants for EMT certification must, at minimum:

   •   Be 17 years of age (18 for NREMT exam)
   •   Hold a current CPR card
   •   Be able to speak, read, and write English
   •   Pass a criminal background check

Some training centers require proof of immunizations as well.
In order to obtain certification, applicants must complete an approved course through one of the training sites in the state; all programs must meet 2005 National Education Standards for acceptance. Following the course, students must pass an examination provided for their level of application to complete the certification process.

EMT certification is valid for two years, after which EMTs must renew their certification. Renewal requirements may be met by completing 24 hours of continuing education (CE) for EMTs, 36 hours for AEMTs, or 48 hours for paramedics, or by registering with NREMT prior to the certification’s expiration date. The application for recertification must be made at least 90 days prior to expiration.

For more information, please contact:
Rebecca Curtiss, Chief
515-281-5604
Lucas State Office Building
321 E. 12th St.
Des Moines, IA 50319

Reciprocity
Certification through reciprocity. Iowa offers reciprocity to applicants who are NREMT registered at their current level of national certification, and EMT-Basic certification to members of the Army at the level of Combat Medic (91W) or Special Forces Medic (18D). When applying for certification, the applicant should provide:

   •   Proof of NREMT registration
   •   A copy of the current State Certification/License
   •   Documentation of military training (if applicable)
   •   A $50 fee made out to the Iowa Department of Public Health
   •   A front/back copy of your Health Care Provider Level CPR (BCLS) card, or ACLS card for EMT-I99 and paramedic applicants

Additional training or testing may be required to complete certification; contact the Iowa Department of Public Health for more information at 515-281-5604. If training is necessary, applicants will receive an EMS Endorsement Preliminary Approval Form, which can allow applicants to function as an EMS provider for employment purposes, or provide entrance to an Iowa training program.

Kansas

EMT certification in Kansas is provided by a partnership of the Kansas Board of Emergency Medical Services (KBEMS) with the Information Network of Kansas. Applicants must complete an educational program that meets USDOT National Standards, and either register with NREMT or complete a state written and practical application.

Certification renewal is required every two years and can be completed through the Kansas State Renewal page once applicants have completed the required continuing education hours. A breakdown of the requirements by level is provided here. You must register for an account to access license information.

Reciprocity

Reciprocity is offered to EMTs who are NREMT registered and have completed training that meets the USDOT National Standard Curriculum, or NREMT Standards at the level of certification requested. Training will be reviewed and must be found to contain at least 90 percent of the content in the Kansas Emergency Medical Services Education Standards; missing training outside of these guidelines must be obtained from a Kansas-certified EMS Instructor-Coordinator or training officer prior to certification. Applicants are required to submit a two-part application, the second section of which must be completed by the applicant’s instructor or a representative from the educational program attended. Should you have any questions regarding the recognition of non-Kansas credential application process, please email Chrystine at chrystine.hannon@ems.ks.gov.

Missouri

EMT licensing in Missouri is overseen by the Department of Health and Senior Services. To obtain a licensed, all applicants must be:

• Registered with NREMT at the level of application, and
• Complete the application form and addendum to be submitted to the Department.

Applicants must complete a criminal background investigation at the time of application, which can be conducted through either:
• The Missouri Highway patrol – this option is available to applicants who have resided in Missouri for the past five years
or
• An FBI Fingerprint background investigation – applicants who have resided outside of Missouri within the past five years must submit two “applicant” fingerprint cards along with the application (instructions).

Once the request has been approved, the license will be emailed to the address provided on the application; renewal notices are also sent to this address 120 days prior to expiration, so make sure to notify the Department if an account is no longer in use.

When renewing an EMT license, applicants should submit the same form with the additional continuing education section also completed. EMT-Bs must complete 100 hours of CE credit every five years; a breakdown of the required credits is provided here. Applications for license renewal must be completed no more than 120 days and no less than 30 days prior to the date of expiration.

To certify with NREMT, applicants must pass cognitive and psychomotor examinations conducted at an authorized test site. In order to be eligible for the testing process, applicants must complete a state-approved EMT course that meets NREMT standards within two years of taking the exam, provide verification from the Program Director that proficiency in EMT skills was demonstrated, possess CPR credentials for healthcare providers, and pass a state psychomotor exam. Applicants will also need to register on the NREMT website and pay a $70 application fee to obtain their Authorization to Test.

Reciprocity

Reciprocity is offered at EMT-B and Paramedic levels for EMTs who are registered with NREMT. Candidates for reciprocity should complete the application for certification and include all required information, including fingerprint cards for the background check.

For Prior Military, the Department of Health and Senior Services has regulations to provide for advance placement in EMT-Paramedic training programs. Within two years of honorable discharge or during active duty:
   •   Complete the application for initial licensure as an EMT-Basic.
   •   Submit your completed application to the Bureau of EMS with the following items:
      •   Two (2) completed FBI applicant fingerprint cards.
      •   Verification of current NREMT certification as an EMT-Basic
      •   A copy of your DD214, NG-22, or Common Access card.

For assistance with EMS licensing, renewal, or reciprocity contact: emslicensing@health.mo.gov

Nebraska

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services licenses EMTs at the Emergency Medical Responder, EMT, AEMT, and Paramedic levels. State EMS Model Protocols were updated in January 2018. In order to be eligible for licensing, applicants must:

   •   Be at least 18 years of age
   •   Complete an application
   •   Provide proof of US citizenship or legal immigrant status
   •   Provide a copy of a current signed Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) certification card that includes adult, child, infant, and 2-person CPR from an approved organization
   •   Be registered with NREMT
   •   Submit the appropriate fee as provided in the structure

Completed applications can be mailed along with all required documentation to the Licensure Unit Department of Health & Human Services – Public Health, PO Box 94986, Lincoln, NE 68509. Applicants who have completed a DOT-approved course for their level of certification within the past two years, but who are not yet NREMT registered, may obtain a year-long temporary license to work under the supervision of an EMT licensed at the same or higher level. The application for temporary licensure may be downloaded here; this application must also be signed by the EMT agreeing to the responsibility of acting as a supervisor.

Providers must renew their certification by December 31st of every odd-numbered year for EMTs, or even year for AEMTs, EMT-Is, and paramedics. In order to complete the renewal process, applicants must provide one of the following:

   •   Verification of eligibility from the applicant’s service physician medical director or qualified physician surrogate
   •   Completion of a state-approved examination with a minimum score of 70%
   •   Attestation of completion of required continuing education credits
   •   Proof of NREMT registration

Applicants must also submit a copy of their renewal notice and proof of CPR certification at the appropriate level.

Wendy Snodgrass
Nebraska Department of HHS, Public Health
Emergency Health Systems Program
402-873-5082
P.O. Box 95026
Lincoln, NE 68509-5026

Reciprocity

Reciprocity is offered to EMTs who are NREMT registered and meet all other Nebraska requirements for licensing. In order to apply for reciprocal certification, applicants must submit all materials required for initial certification, plus a Request for Verification of Certification/Licensure from another State/Jurisdiction. The majority of this form is to be completed by the issuing agency, and includes training, examination, and certification history information.

At the Resource - Plan for Your Financial Future in a Public Safety Career

At the Ready Magazine — Sun, 25 Mar 2018 02:56:01 +0000

The current issue focused on public safety wages, but no discussion would be complete without resources to support your public safety career. In this article, you will find some resources and information to help you with your current finances and opportunities to ensure your future financial health. For example, the Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness program (PSLF) may be available to you if you meet certain criteria. We understand the importance of keeping personal stress low because the professional stress can be very high. Please contact us at mailbag@atthereadymag.com with any questions or comments!

The HUD Good Neighbor Next Door Program

The Retirement Education Center has great information for all aspects of your financial life, including programs that help public safety employees purchase homes!

"During your career, you may be able to purchase a discounted home, up to 50% off the list price, in the community you work in. Through this federal government program, you must commit to live in the home for at least 36 months as your sole residence. Qualifying workers include Law Enforcement Officers, Firefighters, EMTs, as well as Teachers.

The benefit is available through the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Good Neighbor Next Door Program. A limited number of homes are available. You don't have to be a first-time home buyer to qualify, but at the time you submit your purchase offer, you cannot own another home or have owned one in the last year."

Visit the HUD website for details.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness for Your Student Loans

Be sure to check out this program if you have federal loans from the Department of Education. You have to meet certain criteria and make 120 payments. Criteria includes working for the right employer, many of which employ public safety professionals:

"What is qualifying employment?

Qualifying employment for the PSLF Program is not about the specific job that you do for your employer. Rather, it is about who your employer is. Employment with the following types of organizations qualifies for PSLF:
* Government organizations at any level (federal, state, local, or tribal)
* Not-for-profit organizations that are tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code
* Other types of not-for-profit organizations that are not tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, if their primary purpose is to provide certain types of qualifying public services"

Also consider that if you are having trouble making your student loan payments, you may qualify for repayment programs that can lower your monthly payment. Visit the student loan website for details. Ensure you are dealing with an actual servicer, and watch out for student loan scams. Unfortunately, scams are recently on the rise.

Life Insurance for Volunteers

If you are a volunteer public safety professional, whether Fire, EMS, or Law Enforcement, there are companies that will provide life insurance for you, whether or not your agency does. Many agencies carry liability, and perhaps disability. Many states require organizations to participate in the program to compensate survivors. But spending time researching the options in your state for a policy that you hold personally should be on your list of financial “things to do.” There are no links in this section, because At the Ready does not promote any single company and are not agents, therefore you must check availability in your own state. A quick Internet search uncovered many companies that advertise these policies.

Regardless of Sex, Harassment on the Job is About Power, It’s Always About Power

At the Ready Magazine — Fri, 23 Mar 2018 20:35:16 +0000

by Robert Avsec, Executive Fire Officer

Disclaimer: This [article] is not about politics.

A man is being publicly grilled about why he was alone in a room with someone he felt was threatening him. Why didn’t he simply resign if he felt uncomfortable with what his boss was asking him to do? Why did he keep taking calls from that boss, even if he thought they were inappropriate? Why didn’t he just come out and say he would not do what the boss was asking for? (Women Say to Comey: Welcome to Our World, New York Times, June 8, 2017)

Maybe, just maybe, we’ve all started taking a much different view of claims of sexual harassment–and all other forms of harassment in the workplace for that matter—and especially those brought forth by women. If we have, we need to thank the #MeToo movement and the brave women who have stepped forward and continue to step forward and speak up.

Former FBI Director James Comey’s experience—described in his testimony under oath before the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee last year—clearly illustrates that power being exerted by a boss over a subordinate is harassment. It shows that harassment is about having power and abusing that power. And it shows that it’s not limited to women in the workplace.

It’s this imbalance of power which is often the basis for sexual harassment or assault cases, the latest examples being those of Matt Lauer, Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, Louis C.K. and George Takei. By now, we all know they have something in common — they have each been accused of inappropriate sexual behavior.

Mr. Comey’s testimony also serves to illustrate that power can rattle and silence men as well as women. Mr. Comey is a large man in physical stature and powerful in his own right having served an extensive career with the FBI that included service under two previous Presidents of the United States.

Yet, Comey admits he froze when he found himself alone with the current President of the United States—his ultimate boss—and that boss allegedly telling Comey, “I need loyalty. I expect loyalty.” For the uninitiated, the President is laying out the quid pro quo: You make me happy, I’ll make you happy (By letting you keep your job).

The conversation resumes. You speak of other things. You think the worst is over. Think again. The powerful man has an agenda for this dinner. He wants to break down your defenses—even just a crack. He’ll insist Mike Flynn [fired National Security Advisor] “is a good guy. I hope you can let this go.” [drop the FBI’s investigation of Flynn and alleged involvement with Russia prior to the U.S. Presidential Election].

And for some reason, instead of saying, “You’re crossing a line,” you’ll agree that Mike Flynn is a good guy. Now your boss can smile. You just told him that someone under criminal investigation was “a good guy.” You played along. You two just shared an intimacy—one might even say “a thing.” (WMagazine,June 8, 2017).

Sexual Harassment in the Fire Service

And that’s how abuse of power and sexual harassment of women in the fire service “goes down.” The person in power doesn’t have to hold official rank over a woman firefighter, though frequently that is the case. No, just being a male firefighter is enough informal power over a female firefighter for the aggressor to get what they want.

And why is that? First, because male privilege is a driving force is fire departments large and small. Career and volunteer and combination. Male privilege gives abusers the power to do what they want without fear of repercussions.

Secondly, when an allegation of sexual harassment arises, they know—and case histories bear them out—that their version of what happened will be believed by their brothers. For their male counterparts to believe the female firefighter’s accusations is to betray “the code”, the code of male privilege.

Then the victim shaming or blaming begins. It even did for Comey as we see in a couple of Twitter messages after his testimony:

Sen Blunt: If you told Sessions you didn’t want to be alone with Trump again, why did you continue to take his calls?
#Comey claiming #Trump obstructed justice over #flynn AFTER he got fired, is like a chick claiming Sexual Harassment AFTER she got fired.

All you must do is change a few words

Does this paragraph look familiar?

A female firefighter who’s filed a complaint of sexual harassment against her supervising captain is being “interviewed” as part of an investigation of her complaint. She’s asked why she was alone in a room with someone she felt was threatening her. Why didn’t she simply resign if she felt uncomfortable with what her boss was asking her to do? Why did she keep taking calls from that boss, even if she thought they were inappropriate? Why didn’t she just come out and say she would not do what the boss was asking for?

See, it’s all about the power. Always is.

About the Author

Batt. Chief Robert Avsec (Ret.) served with the Chesterfield (Va.) Fire & EMS Department for 26 years. He was an instructor for fire, EMS, and hazardous materials courses at the local, state and federal levels, which included more than 10 years with the National Fire Academy. Chief Avsec earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Cincinnati and his master’s degree in executive fire service leadership from Grand Canyon University. He is a 2001 graduate of the National Fire Academy's EFO Program. Contact Robert at Robert.Avsec@FireRescue1.com

Police and Sheriff Patrol Officers: Are You Being Paid a Living Wage?

At the Ready Magazine — Fri, 23 Mar 2018 19:20:44 +0000

by Mike Kennedy

Back in 2005, I needed some help at the Battle Lab. One of the people I interviewed for the job was a Columbus, Georgia motorcycle police officer. He called me a couple hours before the interview and asked me if it would be okay for him to show up in uniform. I said sure, no problem. I thought to myself, "Why would a cop who gets to ride around all day on a Harley, carry a gun every day, and arrest bad guys want to leave all that just to experiment with cool toys for the Army?” Right away I got my answer. It was the money--$23,000 a year. I checked his resume, and yep, he had a Master’s Degree. A Master’s Degree holder with over 20 years of Army experience was making only $23,000 a year.

How often do we think about the sacrifices police and sheriff patrol officers make for us every day? What about the danger they face? The answer to both questions is probably not very often. What about how much money they make to enforce the laws of this country; to protect and serve our communities? The answer is probably even less often than the answer to the first two questions. Did you know that in fifteen states, the mean salary of police and sheriff patrol officers isn’t even enough to meet a family’s basic needs? If you live in the Southeastern United States, did you know that in every Southeastern state but Florida, patrol officers who make the mean salary serving your communities don’t make the living wage for their respective states? What about the Northeast? The mean salary for patrol officers in New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont is less than the living wage.

The analysis of mean salaries for Police and Sheriff Patrol officers revealed that, in 15 states officers making the mean salary are not paid the state’s respective living wage. No wonder we see so many police officers working second and third security jobs. This is especially important in families where only one spouse works. These families need to find other sources of income or work as many overtime hours as possible to meet their family’s basic needs. In separate work, the BLS found that in 2016, among American married-couple families, in 48 percent of families both the husband and wife were employed; in 19.5 percent of married-couple families only the husband was employed, and in 7.1 percent only the wife was employed.

The number of overtime hours, or second jobs the patrol officer needs to take to make ends meet if the spouse does not also work depends on where they live. In two of the states (New Hampshire and Kentucky), the mean patrol officer annual salary is close to the state’s living wage; $443 less in New Hampshire and $498 less in Kentucky. In each of these states, the patrol officer making the mean salary would have to work 11.2 and 16.1 hours of overtime, respectively, to make the living wage for their state. In the other states where the officer’s mean salary is less than a living wage, they would have to work even more hours of overtime. In Vermont, the mean annual salary is $3,617 less than the state’s living wage. That equates to 103.7 hours of overtime needed to make up the difference. In Maine, the mean annual salary of a patrol officer is $5,605 less than the state’s living wage. The patrol officer making the mean salary would have to work 170 hours of overtime to make up the difference.

The state with the greatest difference between patrol officer mean salary and the state’s living wage is Mississippi. The mean annual salary for patrol officers is $11,534 less than the state’s living wage. That equates to 462.8 hours of overtime the average Mississippi patrol officer must work just to make up the difference.

When looking at the specific states where patrol officers making the mean salary are not paid a living wage, we see a trend in the Southeast. The mean salary for patrol officers in every state in the Southeast, except Florida, is less than the living wage. The differences between mean salary and living wage in these states ranges from the greatest (Mississippi) at $11,534 less than the living wage to the least (Kentucky) at $498 less than the living wage. Patrol officers in the southeast who make the mean salary are making between $498 and $11,534 less than a living wage. More specifically, the rest of the Southeastern states where patrol officer mean salaries are less than the living wage are Georgia at $7,176 less, South Carolina at $4,388 less, North Carolina at $4,295 less, Tennessee at $2,975 less, and Alabama at $2,574 less than their respective living wages.

Together, these seven Southeastern states make up nearly half of all the states where the mean patrol officer salary is less than a living wage. One possible reason for this is cost of living. All the states but South Carolina are among the lower half of the states for cost of living. Mississippi has the lowest cost of living, Tennessee the fifth lowest, Alabama the eighth lowest, Georgia the ninth lowest, Kentucky the sixteenth lowest, and North Carolina the 18th lowest. South Carolina comes in as the 28th lowest cost of living among the states.

Cost of living probably also explains why mean patrol officer salaries in West Virginia are less than a living wage. It comes in as the state with the 23rd lowest cost of living. The same can be said for Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Kansas. Arkansas has the second lowest cost of living; Oklahoma the third lowest, Kansas the seventh lowest, and Louisiana the 17th lowest. With Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont though, using cost of living as a possible explanation for why patrol officers are paid a mean salary that is not a living wage is a stretch at best because these three states have the 38th, 39th, and 40th lowest cost of living. In other words, only 13 states than Maine, 12 states than New Hampshire, and 11 states than Vermont, have higher costs of living.

It is important to remember that, while the states with the lower cost of living are also those where the mean patrol officers salary is not a living wage; the living wage is specific to each state. Even though a patrol officer who makes the mean salary in Mississippi is doing so in the state with the lowest cost of living, he or she still does not make enough to meet a family’s basic needs.

As seen in the table, police and sheriff patrol officers in several states fare very well. In California, they make a mean annual salary of $96,660, the highest mean salary for all states. Interestingly, the mean salary of a patrol officer in California is more than twice that of a patrol officer in Mississippi. What’s more, the difference between the mean salary in California and the state’s living wage is $39,345. This difference alone is more than the mean salary for patrol officers in Mississippi ($34,550) and Arkansas ($38,020), and nearly equal to the mean salary of a patrol officer in Louisiana ($39,390). Patrol officers in New Jersey also fare very well, making a mean salary that is $31,381 more than the state’s living wage.

The table below lists the annual mean wage, hourly mean wage, state living wage, the difference between the annual mean wage and the living wage for the states highlighted in this article. For a fuller analysis of the data for all 50 states and Washington D.C. see "This Is How Much A Living Wage Is in Each State" by Chris Kolmar.

NOTE:
Any patrol officer making less than the amount in the State Living Wage column is not being paid a living wage.

At the Ready realizes that police and sheriff department work schedules vary according to the contract under which they work. Some departments have patrol officers that are required to work an 8-hour shift 5 day a week, some departments have patrol officers that are required to work 4 ten hour shifts a week and some have patrol officers that are required to work 4 twelve-hour shifts. Overtime is also included and is worked and paid according to contract.

State	Annual Mean Wage	Hourly Mean Wage	State Living Wage	Living Wage +/-	Overtime Hours Needed
Alabama	$43,250.00	$20.79	$45,824	-$2,574	82.5
Alaska	$79,510.00		$54,400	+$25,110	N/A
Arizona	$62,470.00		$51,341	+$11,129	N/A
Arkansas	$38,020.00	$18.28	$44,571	-$6551	238.9
California	$96,660.00		$57,315	+$39,345	N/A
Colorado	$68,290.00		$53,792	+$14,498	N/A
Connecticut	$68,520.00		$59,502	+$9018	N/A
Delaware	$66,440.00		$53,112	+$13,328	N/A
Florida	$57,160.00		$52,206	+$4,954	N/A
Georgia	$40,770.00	$19.60	$47,946	-7,176	244
Hawaii	$70,060.00		$60,700	+$9,360	N/A
Idaho	$50,660.00		$45,801	+$4,859	N/A
Illinois	$70,850.00		$52,304	+$18,546	N/A
Indiana	$51,960.00		$46,838	+$5,122	N/A
Iowa	$56,310.00		$48,882	+$7428	N/A
Kansas	$46,140.00	$22.18	$48,054	-$1914	57.5
Kentucky	$42,810.00	$20.58	$43,308	-$498	16.1
Louisiana	$39,390.00	$18.93	$47,975	-$8585	302.3
Maine	$45,700.00	$21.97	$51,305	-$5605	170
Maryland	$64,010.00		$58,178	+$5,832	N/A
Massachusetts	$66,220.00		$59,560	+$6660	N/A
Michigan	$57,240.00		$48,837	+$8,403	N/A
Minnesota	$61,870.00		$52,115	+$9,755	N/A
Mississippi	$34,550.00	$16.61	$46,084	-$11,534	462.8
Missouri	$47,510.00		$46,159	+$1351	N/A
Montana	$52,880.00		$47,083	+$5,797	N/A
Nebraska	$55,180.00		$48,076	+$7104	N/A
Nevada	$72,040.00		$52,698	+$19,342	N/A
New Hampshire	$54,660.00	$26.28	$55,103	-$443	11.2
New Jersey	$87,490.00		$56,109	+$31,381	N/A
New Mexico	$50,420.00		$48,050	+$2370	N/A
New York	$70,990.00		$59,128	+$11,862	N/A
North Carolina	$45,280.00	$21.77	$49,575	-$4,295	131.5
North Dakota	$53,800.00		$46,814	+$7,613	N/A
Ohio	$57,850.00		$45,853	+$11,997	N/A
Oklahoma	$44,650.00	$21.46	$46,613	-$1963	61
Oregon	$68,170.00		$51,900	+$16,270	N/A
Pennsylvania	$65,130.00		$49,914	+$15,216	N/A
Rhode Island	$57,180.00		$53,240	+3940	N/A
South Carolina	$42,180.00	$20.28	$46,568	-$4,388	144.4
South Dakota	$46,000.00		$45,410	+$590	N/A
Tennessee	$43,810.00	$21.06	$46,785	-$2,975	94.2
Texas	$60,350.00		$48,160	+$12,190	N/A
Utah	$50,600.00		$47,922	+2,678	N/A
Vermont	$48,360.00	$23.25	$51,977	-$3617	103.7
Virginia	$54,940.00		$54,264	+$676	N/A
Washington	$76,340.00		$51,271	+$25,069	N/A
Washington D.C.	$73,250.00		$67,867	+$5,383	N/A
West Virginia	$42,130.00	$20.25	$44,823	-$2693	88.6
Wisconsin	$58,050.00		$51,120	+$6,930	N/A
Wyoming	$55,490.00		$47,951	+$7,539	N/A

About the Author

EMTs and Paramedics: Are You Being Paid a Living Wage?

At the Ready Magazine — Fri, 23 Mar 2018 18:21:59 +0000

by Mike Kennedy

As readers, you know first hand that At the Ready has always been about supporting first responders, but how many of you have been on the other side of the equation? Not many, I am sure, though I have.

In 2013 I fell from a ladder, 18 feet down onto pure concrete; I lay there with four skull fractures, most of my brain bleeding, and my XVIII Cranial Nerve severed--my head hit first. I was in bad shape and I would have died had my son not immediately called 911. They arrived and started treating me in about 4 minutes.

The plain truth is that every year EMTs across the country save thousands and probably tens of thousands of lives. So, how much is that worth to you? I already have my answer--I am not a statistic, but one of those lives.

With that in mind, please think about your own answer when we tell you that, in 49 states and Washington D.C., the mean salary of an EMT or Paramedic is not a living wage. And on top of it, for two of those states, the mean salary of EMTs and Paramedics is over $20,000 less than the living wage.

At least the mean salary in Alaska is close to the living wage at only $110 less. Speaking of "only," Washington is the only, yes, ONE AND ONLY, state where the mean salary for an EMT or Paramedic exceeds the living wage. In fact, the mean salary in Washington is $14,049 more than the living wage for the state. Whereas, in Virginia, the mean salary is $20,954 less than the state’s living wage. In Wisconsin, it is $20,270 less, and finally in Florida, it is an astounding $20,546 less.

In 22 states the mean salary is between $15,000 and $20,000 less than the living wage. In 20 states the mean EMT or Paramedic salary is $10,000 to $15,000 less than the living wage. In Idaho the mean salary is $8,441 less than the living wage and in Alaska it is only $110 less than the living wage.

The map below shows that very comparison of mean salaries to the living wage in each state:

Except for in Washington and Alaska, EMTs and Paramedics need to find other sources of income or work as many overtime hours as possible to meet their family’s basic needs. In separate work, the BLS found that in 2016, among American married-couple families, in 48 percent of families both the husband and wife were employed; in 19.5 percent of married-couple families only the husband was employed, and in 7.1 percent only the wife was employed. The impact of the EMT or Paramedic not being paid a living wage will vary, of course, depending upon the category in which the family falls. If the spouse of the EMT or Paramedic also works, they probably do not have much of a problem making ends meet. The impact of not being paid a living wage is lessened by the spouse’s additional income.

What follows is a table that shows the annual mean wage of EMTs and Paramedics in each state, the hourly mean wage, the state living wage, the living wage +/- and the number of overtime hours EMTs and Paramedics need to work to make a living wage which will hopefully demonstrate the vastness of the problem at hand.

State	Annual Mean Wage	Hourly Mean Wage	State Living Wage	Living Wage +/-	Overtime Hours Needed
Alabama	$28,670.00	$13.78	$45,824	-$17,154	829.9
Alaska	$54,290.00	$26.10	$54,400	-$110	2.9
Arizona	$35,430.00	$17.03	$51,341	-$15,911	622.7
Arkansas	$28,770.00	$13.83	$44,571	-$15,801	761.5
California	$37,770.00	$18.16	$57,315	-$19,545	717.5
Colorado	$42,280.00	$20.33	$53,792	-$11,512	377.4
Connecticut	$46,320.00	$22.23	$59,502	-$13,182	395.3
Delaware	$39,140.00	$18.82	$53,112	-$13,972	494.9
Florida	$31,750.00	$15.26	$52,206	-$20,546	897.6
Georgia	$33,030.00	$15.88	$47,946	-$14,916	626.2
Hawaii	$49,680.00	$23.88	$60,700	-$11,020	307.7
Idaho	$37,360.00	$17.96	$45,801	-$8,441	313.4
Illinois	$41,840.00	$20.12	$52,304	-$10,464	356.3
Indiana	$33,140.00	$15.93	$46,838	-$13,697	573
Iowa	$33,850.00	$16.27	$48,882	-$15,032	615.8
Kansas	$29,590.00	$12.30	$48,054	-$18,464	1000.75
Kentucky	$30,840.00	$14.83	$43,308	-$12,468	560.4
Louisiana	$31,360.00	$15.08	$47,975	-$16,615	734.5
Maine	$33,470.00	$16.09	$51,305	-$17,835	738.8
Maryland	$41,320.00	$19.86	$58,178	-$16,858	565.9
Massachusetts	$39,660.00	$19.07	$59,560	-$19,900	695.6
Michigan	$31,260.00	$15.03	$48,837	-$17,577	779.8
Minnesota	$38,850.00	$18.68	$52,115	-$13,265	473.4
Mississippi	$35,330.00	$16.99	$46,084	-$10,754	422
Missouri	$34,170.00	$16.43	$46,159	-$11,989	486.4
Montana	$33,240.00	$15.98	$47,083	-$13,843	577.5
Nebraska	$31,970.00	$15.37	$48,076	-$16,106	698.4
Nevada	$37,400.00	$17.98	$52,698	-$15,298	567.2
New Hampshire	$38,030.00	$18.28	$55,103	-$17,073	622.6
New Jersey	$37,460.00	$18.00	$56,109	-$18,649	690.7
New Mexico	$34,250.00	$16.47	$48,050	-$13,800	558.5
New York	$41,140.00	$19.78	$59,128	-$17,988	606.3
North Carolina	$34,150.00	$16.42	$49,575	-$15,425	626.3
North Dakota	$31,960.00	$15.37	$46,814	-$14,854	644
Ohio	$31,070.00	$14.94	$45,853	-$14,783	659.7
Oklahoma	$29,290.00	$14.08	$46,613	-$17,323	820.2
Oregon	$39,170.00	$18.83	$51,900	-$12,730	442.8
Pennsylvania	$33,480.00	$16.10	$49,914	-$16,434	680.5
Rhode Island	$37,820.00	$18.18	$53,240	-$15,420	565.5
South Carolina	$32,970.00	$15.85	$46,568	-$13,598	571.8
South Dakota	$29,900.00	$14.38	$45,410	-$15,510	719
Tennessee	$35,850.00	$17.24	$46,785	-$10,935	422.9
Texas	$35,870.00	$17.25	$48,160	-$12,290	475
Utah	$33,890.00	$16.29	$47,922	-$14,032	574.1
Vermont	$35,840.00	$17.23	$51,977	-$16,137	624.3
Virginia	$33,310.00	$16.01	$54,264	-$20,954	872.4
Washington	$65,320.00		$51,271	+$14,049	N/A
Washington D.C.	$57,900.00	$27.88	$67,867	-$9,967	238.3
West Virginia	$30,870.00	$14.84	$44,823	-$13,953	626.8
Wisconsin	$30,850.00	$14.83	$51,120	-$20,270	911.4
Wyoming	$34,780.00	$16.72	$47,951	-$13,171	525.2

At the Planet - Mars

At the Ready Magazine — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 23:57:01 +0000

by William Dickerson, a not-whatsoever Astronomical Scientist

Welcome reader to this new April edition whence we make a calculated and ambitious expansion to our 'At the Region' offering - and soon to be 'At the Nation' offering - by leaping to an 'At the Planet' series. If a FEMA region is good, and a whole Nation is an even more formidable 'Bird's Eye View' - given I haven't seen any birds flying so stratospherically that they're peeking at entire nations? - then a whole Planet must be even better! (And just wait until we go Intergalactic!!!).

In our 'At the Planet' series we'll detail the First Responder capabilities of every known Planet in the Solar System, thence towards nearby Stars to each now known Planet & perhaps Planetoid, to truly, comprehensively, identify holes - not Black Holes - in existing capabilities. When you're the only First Responder for parsecs, then you know your job is secure...although your supply closet may well not be, so you might want to bring a couple extra jugs of water, hmm.

Oh, so yeah, let's have at it! We start our much-anticipated series with most people's second most favorite Planet after Earth, and some people's penultimate favorite before Earth--Mars!

Now Mars, as you know, can only attract the most dedicated service members in every field, given the fierce conditions present. For example, our Law Enforcement Officers alone are in no enviable position, being forced to fight Spiders with only their indefatigable charm and a suspiciously well-tuned guitar. I mean, what kind of music do spiders even like? Let alone Martian ones! Is it Rock, Rap, Bluegrass, or only some Martian Underground Techno that can set at least 8 feet tapping to a deep-bass LFO with a penchant for bespoke treble?!

Ha, not to mention that the dry cleaning bills must be hell for keeping that uniform in sparkle despite global-intensity dust storms. I mean, just have a look at one such officer, about to punch back into the heat of action:

Right, not a single mote of dirt in sight--glorious! But hey, let's say that well-articulated arachnids and an entire acoustic armory aren't your cup of tea; how do our other forces live and prepare?

In a fit of curiosity, we asked Curiosity (the Rover, not some metaphysical concept of asking a concept in the meta phase of the concept...I mean, this is serious business, you know.).

-----

At the Ready:
So, Curiosity...can I call you Curiosity? How do things fair in Emergency Management on Mars? Emergency Medical Services? What of dealing with Fires?

Curiosity:
No, please, call me Dave.

At the Ready:
Thanks, okay, uh...Dave. So, what of it?

Curiosity, A.K.A. Dave:
Well, on the bright side, we're basically the only ones here to our knowledge. If we had to though, maybe we could help out with a Mast Camera, surveying the scene of a crime, or spotting baddies. I don't know, the drill's got to be good for something--it's been great since we drilled into John Klein, after all, and...

At the Ready:
WHAT?! You drilled INTO John Klein?! I'M CALLING 911 RIGHT NOW, WHAT'S THE RESPONSE TIME TO MARS?!

Curiosity, A.K.A. Dave:
...John Klein is a drilling site in this context, not a person. Even if it were a person and you did call your local emergency services then they're looking at a trip of ~35,000,000 to ~250,000,000 miles...so this ol' John would be well on the way before anyone arrived, hmm? Hell, even if Law Enforcement was a Rapid Response Team, composed of pure light, traveling at ~186,282 miles PER SECOND, they're not even going to get a 3 minute response time....

At any rate, I doubt a person would hold still long enough to get the drill into place, especially with the latency in communication and the acute moral disposition of the operator which would only have them drilling into defenseless rocks, and ending the long lives of countless scoops of 'soil.'

Back to the point here, I doubt we'd be of much service in any rapid response pursuits given a top speed of roughly 0.09 mph (0.14 km/h). Not to mention having to be ever-so-careful with the routes we choose to get there, which is going to extend those times even further. Inclines, sand dunes, and whatever other funky physics arrive in dealing with this type of regolith.

Maybe it's our second-generation as spider bots that'll get a leg-up on those types of situations by just popping each appendage over a hill in sequence, toe-tapping across the entirety of Syrtis Major with mere few leggy hops and a jump, you know?

Hmm, but perhaps a slow response time isn't such a problem in some situations. I mean, I'd expect you're less likely to bleed out if you're in the 'right' spot on the globe, yeah? Being roughly -225 degrees at the poles is going to keep all those bits out of even being liquidious, which might keep you rolling? ...though I guess you need a bit more than a solid blood supply to survive, hmm.

At the Ready:
Ooo, uh, that's not where I expected this to go. Alright then, there's a tangled web of thoughts to unweave which all the Earthbound Space Agencies shall surely look back to given such a deeply-accurate scientific conversation, truly hailing us each as a Nostradamus of our times...said with no sense of irony, surely.

-----

So that's it! A great wealth of not-at-all fantastical information for those looking to serve our glorious Martian Emergency Services. Remember to bring a damp cloth for the dust and a Kite Shield to defend against 7-foot tall Rovers maliciously attempting to turn you too into another "Drill Site."

Thanks from us here at At the Ready, and also from our friend 'Dave' via NASA. Dave would wave you out with us but it would be an impossibly long wave with an armature that isn't even vaguely built for such trivial operations of silly homo sapien social signalling.

About the Author:
William is the Executive V.P. of At the Ready, and certainly not a Spider from Mars, as we have no laws governing Arachnid investiture in Terran Business Interests, thank you very much. William enjoys knitting sticky quilts in xenologically inhabited caverns - which are certainly not used to trap any form of flying insect for consumption! - as well as tapping what is surely only a bipedal set of appendages to Martian Underground Techno with a deep-bass LFO. True story.

****
_{Editor's note: All of the things said in this article are true, and surely only a fool would think this was some form of joke for April, as if there was some bizarre tradition of playing pranks on each other on the 1st of April, because that would be absurd. Surely only a Martian would believe such a thing!}

****

...

****
Okay okay, you got us; yes, we're still here to help you stay "At the Ready," but we can play a joke every so often, right? ...even if that's your potentially tired April Fool's joke, haha.

Intro - March 2018

At the Ready Magazine 2 — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 22:02:12 +0000

As we move toward release this month, the United States is reeling from the recent school shooting in Parkland, Florida and China is recovering from a brutal knife attack in a Kunming railway station. When we planned this issue last year, we were looking to cover the crowd/riot response and large-scale event security. Recent events have shown that sometimes the crowd isn’t in the offense, but the defense. After a large-scale attack where many people are affected, panic often sets in and crowd management takes on a different role. Within that pandemonium, responders triage, calm and reassure the crowd, preserve evidence, and minimize the misinformation running with the press. It’s no small task.

While it is quite unusual for us, we decided to add to this issue. The first addition was first printed here in 2015, and Op-Ed from Jim Sharp, It's Time For Federal Campus Marshals . The second is the link to a new, free, online mass casualty triage course available from National Disaster Life Support Foundation. We bring personal safety to the forefront this month with Brian Duff’s How to Be Safe at a Concert.

For the crowd that IS in “the offense” we have articles from Riley Land The 400 ft View: Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems for Crowd Monitoring. Riley’s agency spent years preparing for and monitoring large crowds that came for an annual demonstration of a military training school in Columbus, Georgia. Jim Sharp offers, Expecting the Crowd You Weren’t Expecting. Jim lives and works front and center near the Ferguson, MO riots from a few years ago.

Of course no issue would be complete without our regular features. Chief Avsec has a question for all who serve in the fire service, It’s Not My Job: OR IS IT? And this month’s At the Region field education and reciprocity resource has the latest updates for FEMA Region VI: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas.

Enjoy the change in seasons. As the snow melts, prepare your department for the coming season of concerts, road races, and community events that tend to coincide with spring. Feel free to drop us a line anytime at mailbag@atthereadymag.com. We welcome all comments, good, bad, and ugly, as well as suggestion for future issues and other feedback. We are here to help you stay At the Ready.

Warm Regards,
Dawn

Expecting the Crowd You Never Expected

At the Ready Magazine 2 — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 21:52:51 +0000

by Jim Sharp

On the evening of February 12th, 2018, police responded to a crowd disturbance at a hotel near St. Louis Lambert International Airport. A crowd of approximately 300 people had just returned from Memphis, Tennessee, where they had been taking part in a protest in support of higher wages for fast food employees and were using the hotel as a debriefing location before heading back to their homes in the St. Louis area. Nothing escalated, there were apparently no arrests, and protesters and police eventually went their separate ways.

The point of the above paragraph is not to illustrate what happened in St. Louis, but instead to illustrate what happened in Memphis, a city almost 300 miles away yet still considered worth the trip for those 300 St. Louisans who wanted to exercise their constitutionally guaranteed right to peaceful expression.

The population of your jurisdiction cannot be the sole consideration in your planning for civil unrest. Depending on the event that precipitates the unrest, a town with a population of a few hundred could conceivably see an influx of thousands of people from all point of the compass, and the civil unrest in Ferguson, Missouri that followed the shooting of a young African-American man by one of that city’s police officers is the case study. On one night of protests, only one of the 51 people arrested that night was actually from the city of Ferguson. Several were from cities nearby (as part of the St. Louis Metropolitan Area, the city of Ferguson adjoins other cities and boundaries between them can be crossed simply by crossing the street), but others were from as far away as Iowa, Ohio, California, Texas, Alabama, and New York. Eventually, people from around the world came to Ferguson. Protestors rented hotel rooms, found other lodging, and were in it for the long haul.

I’m not trying to draw a correlation between “locals” and “out-of-towners” when it comes to arrests. I am not attempting to delegitimize or downplay any of the causes mentioned here. I am trying to emphasize the fact that, if you are faced with civil unrest, many of the people walking your streets may not be familiar to you – or to anyone. Thanks to the internet and social media, protests can be organized as never before. Nationwide movements have websites that allow a person to find the next (or nearest) action, notify others of an action, and donate funds or other resources. Protests or acts of civil disobedience, scheduled a few weeks or even a few days in advance, can draw thousands of people from all walks of life thanks to social media. If someone, or some organization, was planning a protest in your jurisdiction in the coming weeks, would you know about it? Would you even know where to start looking for the information? Who within your organization has that responsibility?

And once an action begins, what now? How will your jurisdiction simultaneously allow people their freedom of expression, protect lives and property (on both sides of the issue), and continue to provide routine services at their expected levels? The Ferguson protests went on for months, which opens up the whole issue of continuity and sustainability.

Let’s say your jurisdiction is a rural county with an interstate highway or other major thoroughfare running through it. A common enough description, as is one or more fast food restaurants right off the exit ramp. One Sunday afternoon, what appears to be a chartered tour bus pulls into the parking lot of one of these restaurants. The on-duty manager starts wondering how they’ll manage to serve the forty or so people on the bus, but as the people on the bus begin to debark, none of them head toward the restaurant. They stay congregated in the parking lot, and the manager now sees that a few of them are carrying large signs. Then a second bus pulls in, then a third, and within the space of a very few minutes there is a group of almost 200 people in the parking lot protesting the need for higher wages for fast food workers. No laws are being broken: no entrances are being blocked, traffic is not being impeded, no one is being threatened or assaulted, not even any profanity being heard. But the manager calls 9-1-1 anyway and describes the scene, and suddenly every officer on the road (all three of them) is en route.

A second hypothetical scenario would entail what we (and the world) saw unfold in Ferguson, Missouri in 2014 and 2015: buildings burning, police officers being attacked, and even fire department units having to abandon their efforts after coming under fire.

In either scenario, and of course there is a wide range of possible scenarios, unified command will be critically important. Law enforcement, fire, and EMS must be able to work together, if for no other reason that to help assure first responder safety. If you get a fire or EMS call from the area of the disturbance, do you send in the fire/EMS units and let them assess the scene? Do you send fire or EMS with a law enforcement escort? Do you send law enforcement first, let them assess scene safety, and then allow fire or EMS to respond?

Training will also be crucial – training for your people on the street who will have to respond, and the incident command training that we all know is important but many of us just “can’t find the time” to conduct.

If you’re looking for answers, or at least recommendations regarding how to respond to a riot or act of civil unrest, my recommendation would be to not wait until a response becomes necessary. Plan now. Get on line and visit websites like those mentioned in this article. Experiment with different means of social media monitoring to see what works best for you, and by the way, if you’re not familiar with gab.ai or “Twitter Shoah’d” you should be. Conduct a tabletop exercise, generate an Incident Action Plan. Civil unrest is a foreseeable hazard just like severe weather, an earthquake, or a hazardous materials release, and deserves the same amount of attention.

About the Author

A highly-sought trainer, presenter, and author, Jim Sharp is a veteran Emergency Manager and one of fewer than 500 FEMA-certified Master Professional Continuity Practitioners nationwide. Prior to starting his own firm in 2010, he spent the immediately previous 10 years with an Illinois jurisdiction as their Emergency Management Agency's Field Training Officer, Public Information Officer, and Assistant Coordinator. Jim has trained literally thousands of people – civilians and first responders - on topics that include continuity of operations, CERT, cybersecurity, pandemic preparedness, incident command, the National Incident Management System, and many more. He currently chairs both the COAD and Long-term Recovery Committees for Warren County, Missouri and voluntarily serves as Deputy Emergency Operations Center Director for the Warren County Emergency Management Agency.

Opinion: Its Time for Federal School Marshals

At the Ready Magazine 2 — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 21:46:50 +0000

by Jim Sharp

Editor's note: This op-ed article was first published in At the Ready Magazine's November 2015 issue. We republish here because it is relevant and timely to recent events.

Please note that At the Ready is here to provide a voice for solutions from any vantage point, with particular service to established personnel. To submit further opinions from any objective vantage point, or to provide simple feedback, please contact us at mailbag@atthereadymag.com

I know I’m not the only American who’s tired of “breaking news,” headlines that begin with the word “another,” and flags flying at half-staff because yet another terrorist, jihadi, or mentally deranged individual has slaughtered innocent people in a school or on a campus. I have children in school, and it makes me physically ill when I think that this might one day be a story involving their school.

People ask, “What can we do to fix it?” I don’t believe most of those people are really interested in fixing the problem. Sadly, most seem primarily interested in finding a way to use whatever the most recent tragedy is to either further their own agenda, blame their opponents’ policies, or both. It’s been less than a month since the attack at Umpqua Community College in Oregon, almost three years since the atrocity at Sandy Hook Elementary, and more than 16 years since Columbine, and we’re still bogged down in blaming “the other side.” Well, with kids in school I have a dog in this fight, so I thought seriously about what we could do to make school campuses more safe, and here’s my proposal:

Campus Marshals.
Institute, under the Department of Homeland Security, a Campus Marshal program similar to the Air Marshal program.

• Air Marshals provide deterrence (they blend in with the passengers, so a potential attacker must take into account the possibility of armed response to their actions). Campus Marshals would provide deterrence the same way.

• Should an attacker penetrate the layers of airport security prior to boarding an aircraft, Air Marshals are the first (and final) line of defense for passengers against an attempted hijacking or other attack. Similarly, Campus Marshals would be the first line of defense for the student body against an attack.

• Since they would blend in with the student body, an attacker would not be able to target them for early elimination as they would a uniformed school resource officer or campus police or security officer.

• Air Marshals are trained to detect mannerisms, behaviors, and speech patterns that help them identify potential problems. Campus Marshals would receive that same level of training, enabling them to make the same judgement and decisions.

• With so many of our military veterans returning to civilian life and using their veteran’s benefits to go back to college, this seems like it would be an ideal coupling of workforce, environment, and necessity.

I know this is not “the” solution to the problem – it’s not even an entire solution, but I do believe it’s part of the solution – and a partial solution is better than none at all. If you had a child in kindergarten at the time of the Columbine attack, that child would today be old enough to be in college and would, sadly, face pretty much the same level of threat. To be sure, we’ve become much better at things like building design and campus-wide emergency alerts. Law enforcement response tactics have certainly evolved, and armed school resource officers are more prevalent, but that’s about it. At some point we have to stop talking and debating and arguing and blaming. At some point we have to decide that, while “having a discussion” is worthwhile, when the discussion has been ongoing for 16 years it’s run its course. At some point we have to actually do something. We can do this.

I know the arguments...

• You can’t really deter someone who is determined to commit such an act. In many cases that’s true, but it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try. Police on the streets obviously don’t “deter” all of the crime, but no one’s talking about taking cops off the roads and out of the neighborhoods.

• Most school or campus shootings happen in less than two minutes, and the current average law enforcement response time is about five minutes. If you can’t get the response time down to less than two minutes, you won’t do much good. Those figures are accurate, but to students and faculty huddled behind barricaded doors, any reduction in response time is a Godsend.

• Air Marshals don’t fly on every flight. And...? Hire enough Campus Marshals to cover the campuses in the program.

• That would cost a ton of money. Sure it would. We spend more public money in this country on crap (and by “crap” I mean peripheral or tertiary programs that have little or no relevance to real life, and by that I mean crap) than the GDP of some smaller countries. If we can’t, or if we chose not to find and divert some of that money to an immediate real-world problem then we deserve our fate. Shame on us.

• What about elementary schools, middle schools and high schools? True, you would not be able to have a Campus Marshal blend in with the student body in those environments (21 Jump Street, for those old enough to remember, was not a documentary), but they could be embedded with the faculty or support staff.

• But it will take a year, maybe several years, to get the program up and running. Then I guess we’d better get started, right?

We’ve been talking about the problem long enough. I’m not suggesting we stop talking about it, but I am suggesting that, while we continue to talk and debate and discuss (and point fingers, and place blame), we also take action. We can do this.

The 400' View - Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems for Crowd Monitoring

At the Ready Magazine 2 — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 21:33:07 +0000

by Riley Land, Deputy Director, Emergency Management/Homeland Security Columbus, Georgia

I trust that the astute readers of this installment have noticed that the title of this article does not mention crowd control or crowd management with Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS). While there can be influences exerted on crowds with sUAS we will never possess the volume of influence that a healthy Blackhawk or Jet Ranger can bring to the party, darn it. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on your mind set the use of rotor blast and noise intimidation on crowds is frowned upon in the United States and is pretty much outlawed, but we can still add a good dose of “force multiplier” to our team efforts at managing both unruly and peaceful crowd scenarios.

I have never asserted that sUAS will ever take the place of manned aviation and in many crowd monitoring operations, so you will likely be required to share the available airspace with manned aviation. While the “whirly birds” bring their special panache to the scene, sUAS stick pushers still have a meaningful contribution to make. With this in mind, our best tactic is to coordinate with our assets on the ground to give them the best intel that we can collect from near earth air. The ideas put forth here from your resident non-expert should give you ideas on how to conduct this operation safely and within the law.
Most of my experience with crowd monitoring comes from at least 15 years of overseeing the yearly protest of the School of Americas (SOA) at Fort Benning, GA. This was, up until last November, a mostly peaceful gathering of Priests, Nuns, college kids bussed down from up north for class credit, tee shirt vendors, flower children left over from the 60’s, and a few curious locals coming for the show. The crowd sized varied from 10 to 12 thousand in its early heyday to maybe 1,000 toward the end as enthusiasm dwindled. They did not show up at all last November and I have to believe this is the end of it.

To insure their safety and to insure their rights to peacefully gather and express their views we would provide a hundred or so of our police, sheriff’s deputies, and Fire and EMS personnel to watch intently from the sidelines. The festivities would span over two days and include speeches and protest music from the stage placed in front of the main gate of Ft. Benning and on the last day there would be a “presente” in which all of the names would be read of Latin Americans supposedly killed by the graduates from the SOA.

To help us keep a check on the crowd and keep those with ill intent at bay we always lined the protest area with ISP pole cameras feeding back into the makeshift command center and maintained careful checks at the entry gates to insure no weapons were smuggled in. BE ALERT. We always had a helicopter either on deck in the landing area unless it was making one of its several passes over the crowd and the surrounding area. We love our helicopter, but we are always reminded that chopper juice is expensive and the sUAS is much cheaper and quicker to launch. This article doesn’t lend itself to an in-depth reason for this yearly protest and anyone interested in the history and meaning can research it on line.

sUAS Flights Over People

Unless you specifically have a waiver to your COA that authorizes you to fly over people you are not legally allowed to do so. Even with the waiver I would give it serious consideration before spending very much time directly over crowds. Valuable intel and many worthwhile missions can be safely conducted from the periphery and should the crowd turn ugly you can always bend the mission envelope a little to see what you need to see. We stay off to the side and I recommend that you do the same. Drop your six pounds on a Nuns head from 200’ while she is singing Kumbaya and I bet ya’ll won’t fly drones again until George Jetson is President. Remember that I told you so.

I was asked recently by our City Manager to fly over a Martin Luther King Solidarity March and capture the magic moment when two groups of marchers converge from different directions and the march leaders shake hands in the middle of an intersection. He wanted me directly overhead of the two hand shakers when they came together. I was duty bound to inform him that I could video the hand shake from off to the side and not over the crowd and all I got was a, “Oh, that’s o.k. we’ll think of something else”. Between the lines I heard, “Really, all that money for neat toys and I can’t get a decent photo op. What good are you?”. Don’t be tempted to give in, it’s your license and your accident report to the FAA.

Video and Pictures

If you didn’t video it or take a photo of it….it didn’t happen. A good rule of thumb that we use is in these situations fire up the video recorder before taking off and shut it down when you land. You never know what you might see and often in the heat of the moment you will forget to activate the video camera. I have found that the cost in battery life to keep the video active is very negligible and is worth its weight in tacos if you happen to flumble into something. “Flumble”….that’s to stumble into something while flying.
If the well meaning activists or ACLU representative tells you that you can’t video the crowd or take pictures remind them that the accepted tenet of law is that a person has no reasonable expectation of privacy while in a public place. “Thank you very much for your input sir or ma’am".

At Least Two sUAS On Scene

Having two or more sUAS with accompanying pilots can do many things for you. With two birds you can conduct persistent surveillance. One in the air on station doing its thing while number two is on the pad ready to launch until bird one runs low on battery power. Have a pre-planned in and out procedure with at least 50’ of altitude separation when swapping out. If bird one is on station at 150’, have bird two come on station at 200’. Bird one backs out and starts home and bird number two drops to take its place at 150’. You get the idea. Pick your comfort zone of separation based on your preference or experience. Don’t get too fancy and try the Thunderbird thing with close passes. A mid air conflict in plain view of a couple of thousand people is difficult or impossible to live down.

“Big Bird, Little Bird”

Another option open to you with multiple sUAS is to fly your biggest, noisiest bird to a clearly visible location so that those in the crowd will see it. While those observant folks are very interested in it and are distracted by the big bird you can fly your smallest and quietest one to a 90 degree away vantage point and see what’s really going on. You might just see someone up to something nefarious. Magicians have done it for years, show them the right hand while the left hand does the trick. I don’t recommend trying this using the manned helicopter and a sUAs at the same time, but a quiet pass of the sUAS right after the big, big bird helicopter has cleared the area may accomplish the same thing.

Communications

For any of the coordinated maneuvers such as when two or more sUAs are in the air at the same time I strongly recommend that all pilots are within easy conversational reach of each other or they are in constant radio contact with each other, in a sterile cockpit environment, of course. Spotters should have radio contact as well on the sUAS communications net. Clearly identify each pilot and spotter with a distinct call sign. Keep it simple and easily identifiable. Each pilot should have a call sign readily identifiable to the sUAS. Example: Pilot one is flying a Phantom 3 Pro so he or she can be “Phantom 3” and their spotter can be “Phantom 3 Spot” etc.

Wires Are Every Where

In areas where crowds will be gathering for planned or unplanned actions please assume that there will be wires in the area. Powerlines, telephone lines, TV cable lines, guy wires or clothes lines, who knows. Hopefully, if this was a planned event you have done a pre-event recon of the area and have identified where these lines are and other points of interest that could unexpectedly terminate a flight. The FAA has a great video out there titled, “Flying In The Wire Environment”. In a zealous moment while studying for my Part 107 test I watched the video. I was so proud of myself that the next day I tracked down our helicopter pilot to tell him about by accomplishment. He smiled and recounted his instructor’s advice. Simply stated, “Wires are everywhere, don’t hit the wires”. Duh, I think that goes for trees too.

Crowd Counting

It is often beneficial to public safety entities and event planners to determine the estimated size of a crowd at various points during the event. This information can be used to better plan for future events or it may be used to justify expenditures on security personnel or to justify the number of public safety personnel and equipment brought to bear on the event. Most events, if they are planned or well controlled, will have made arrangements to count incoming attendees and often those leaving during the event will be counted and subtracted from the incoming total for a more accurate current count. sUAS can assist with acquiring an estimated event attendance at any point during the event as well as provide photo documentation of the estimated count. If this is a planned event sUAS pilots and or spotters can establish measured areas around the event venue during their pre-event recon. Light poles, building corners, trees or other immovable structures can be pre-identified and then measurements taken between them to construct an imaginary box of a known dimension. Once these landmarks have been identified and measured from point “a” to point “b” to point “c” to point “d” notate these figures in your notebook.

Launch the sUAS and fly over the box and take a photo including all four points and print this photo out when you are back at your home base. Use a pen or pencil to draw in the measured box for later comparison to photos taken during the event of the box with people in the box. By counting the number of persons in your box and making some simple calculations you should be able to arrive at an estimated number of persons attending the total event venue. It is always best to have multiple locations already defined since crowds do not equally disburse through the entire event venue area .

Don’t Wear A Flight Suit

Unless your department dress code requires you to wear a uniform I have found it best to dress like the crowd. You can move freely around the venue without people either stopping to talk to you about their latest “drone” adventures or purchase and in the worst case you will not be identified as the pilot of that cursed killer “eye in the sky”. If your ego will not allow that, wear something understated like your cool khaki 511 pants and an awesome polo shirt with your department logo. Besides, if you wear a flight suit the helicopter pilots will laugh at you.

Take Aways:

   •  Coordinate with your assets on the ground.
   •  Do not crash into the crowd, marchers, revelers, Nuns, Priests, or other religious figures. Unless you specifically have a waiver to your COA that authorizes you to fly over people you are not legally allowed to do so.
   •  Video everything, every flight.
   •  Fly with friends but communicate constantly.
   •  City officials who lack appropriate knowledge will probably ask you to do things with the sUAS that are not appropriate or illegal. Don’t be tempted to give in, it’s your license and your accident report to the FAA.
   •  It’s not being sneaky, it’s using psychology.
   •  Do not fly into powerlines, telephone lines, guy wires, clothes lines, trees or other aircraft. Wires are everywhere.
   •  If members of the crowd you are monitoring tell you that you can’t video them, politely remind them that accepted tenet of law is that a person has no reasonable expectation of privacy while in a public place.
   •  Do your homework. Recon the area ahead of time if it is a planned event.
   •  Crowd counts are estimates.
   •  Do not wear a flight suit.

Until next installment, “Out of the clear blue of the western sky comes Sky King!” Nah, it’s just a drone.

endnotes:
1. School of the Americas Watch
2. For a much more detailed explanation of this concept please look up and read, “Up in the Air: Applying the Jacobs Crowd Formula to Drone Imagery” by Austin Choi-Fitzpatricka, Tautvydas Juskauskas. This is an almost academic approach to good common sense but it is still a much more authoritative work than I can produce here. A word of caution though, the authors recommend positioning the sUAS directly over the crowd for a cleaner more accurate count. I’m pretty sure we’ve touched on this already and decided that it is just not a good idea. Shoot your photo from off to the side of the crowd.

About the Author

Deputy Chief Riley Land is the Deputy Director, Emergency Management and Homeland Security for the Columbus, Georgia Fire and Emergency Medical Services. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business from Columbus College and has been employed with the Columbus Consolidated Government since 1992. He is a Certified Emergency Manager and is responsible for the emergency and disaster planning efforts for the city as well as the coordination of all city, state and federal resources that would respond to Columbus in the event of a major emergency or disaster.

Other duties include the responsibility for planning and conducting training exercises for the City of Columbus. Deputy Chief Land has received specialized training in emergency management, trained with the F.B.I. and the Treasury Department in explosives post blast investigation, trained with the Department of Energy in radiological response to weapons of mass destruction incidents as well as training in response to chemical and biological weapons with the Department of Defense in the Federal Domestic Preparedness program. He currently holds an FAA license for UAS remote pilot. He purchased the city’s first UAS in September of 2015 and organized the Emergency Management/Homeland Security UAS program for the city. The programs aviation assets now include a DJI Phantom 3 Pro and a DJI Inspire with visible light camera and FLIR.

At the Ready Thought Leadership- Not My Job, Or Is It?

At the Ready Magazine 2 — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 21:17:51 +0000

by Robert Avsec, Executive Fire Officer

OAKLAND — Two years before 36 partygoers died in the Ghost Ship warehouse inferno, Oakland firefighters toured the cluttered firetrap, even dancing in the same second-story performance space where the victims would huddle in their final moments, according to witnesses and documents.

So begins an article from the on-line edition of The Mercury News that first appeared on line on May 7, 2017: Exclusive: Oakland firefighters attended party at Ghost Ship, witnesses say" I urge you to read the entire story before continuing to my commentary

For all my years as a firefighter, officer, and now retired fire officer, I've heard firefighters say--with deep conviction--"It's not a job, it's a calling."

Well, if it's a calling, then you must be ready to "answer the call" when and wherever it comes in. Mrs. Avsec still "gives me the business" every time after we go into a restaurant for dinner and I ask to speak to the manager to point out to him or her that the half-dozen high chairs stacked up in front of the identified fire exit should be removed.

I do it politely and take the opportunity to inform and educate them about the exit requirement. But I do it. Every time. Because I could never live with myself if I picked up the morning paper and saw...

I posted The Mercury News story on LinkedIn with the follow comments:

- If this news report is correct, and the ensuing investigation by the Oakland Fire Department confirms it, then the fire service in the U.S. will have another "black eye."
- How in the world could on-duty firefighters see such conditions first-hand and not think, "Holy cow! If this place ever catches fire, there's going to be hell to pay!"

Lesson to be learned: If you see something, DO SOMETHING! It could just as easily have been their brother and sister firefighters that they pulled out of that fire in addition to the 36 civilian lives that were lost.

But let’s go further

My LinkedIn post received over a thousand views and received many comments. Most of the comments were along the lines of what and how an investigation should be conducted to decide the legitimacy of the article. You know, the typical “find fault and assign blame” investigation that really doesn’t fix the problem.

And this is the real problem: “Based on my fire department experience, most fire fighters are not trained in code compliance unless code compliance inspections are a part of their job; and in many fire departments, it is not.” (Dwight Havens, Engineer, aka, Chauffeur with the Round Lake (NY) Fire Department, Comment on LinkedIn).

I’ll allow Dwight to continue:

“The responsibility falls to the municipality; sometimes a “fire marshal” and many times the building department. When the fire department is organized under the municipality, the fire department may have a fire prevention group, headed by an officer given the title of “fire marshal” and the responsibilities that go with that position; or the responsibility may fall under the code enforcement responsibilities of the (Building) code official,” said Havens.

“Regardless who has the responsibility, as a firefighter one should question anything out of the ordinary and should know how and who to report it to, so the problem gets resolved,” Havens said. “Once you are aware of such conditions, you own it until you successfully pass it to a responsible party who is willing to correct it. Failure to do so can result in a tragedy that might haunt you for the rest of your life.”

“I’ve no doubt that the conditions at the “Ghost Ship” would have raised the hair on the back of my neck,” said Havens.

Changing the “It’s not my job attitude”

I hear what Dwight’s saying, which is even more reason for firefighters to get a good education on the fire code for their municipality during their entry-level training. We don't expect police officers to go out on the street without knowing the "rules of the game", right?

I’m not proposing that every firefighter be trained and certified to NFPA 1031 (fire inspector and investigator) standards, but I am saying that we as fire service leaders need start training firefighters to be more than firefighters—we need more fire preventers!

We need women and men who, when they’re out in the community, are observant and knowledgeable and able to help business owners and their employees to see and understand and correct fire code violations. In uniform and out of uniform.
So, what do they need to become that kind of firefighter—the one who’s adept at preventing fires as well as extinguishing them?

The Barrie Fire and Emergency Service Department in Barrie, Ontario “took the plunge” last year when it began training and certifying all their firefighters to NFPA 1035: Standard for Professional Qualifications for Fire and Life Safety Educator, Public Information Officer, and Juvenile Firesetter Intervention Specialist.

“Our goal is to train our entire staff as NFPA 1035 Level I educators,” said Samantha Hoffmann, a Fire Prevention Officer with the department. “Currently, 58 of our 148 members have completed the training. According to Hoffmann, the department is currently developing an on-line training course for its people to use and speed up the certification process. “We see the on-line course as a means to help us reach our goal faster,” Hoffmann said. I asked Hoffmann, “What difference has this training and certification had on Barrie FES and the community?” She replied, “The biggest impact is that our front-line staff realize the importance of fire and life safety education. They have the tools and skills to reach out to our community with every single call.”

What are your thoughts on this subject? Drop me a line at mailbag@atthereadymag.com

About Your At the Ready Though Leadership Columnist
Batt. Chief Robert Avsec (Ret.) served with the Chesterfield (Va.) Fire & EMS Department for 26 years. He was an instructor for fire, EMS, and hazardous materials courses at the local, state and federal levels, which included more than 10 years with the National Fire Academy. Chief Avsec earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Cincinnati and his master’s degree in executive fire service leadership from Grand Canyon University. He is a 2001 graduate of the National Fire Academy's EFO Program. Contact Robert at Robert.Avsec@FireRescue1.com.

Assessing the Value and Utility of Advanced Technologies in a School Shooting Scenario

At the Ready Magazine 2 — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 21:13:57 +0000

by Mike Kennedy, Former President and CEO of UNEQ Consulting

Editors Note: The experiment discussed in this article took place a little more than a week before the Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting. In fact, while the experimenters were providing the Eufaula responders and City Officials an initial briefing on the results of the experiment, the Mayor's aid interrupted to inform him that the Sandy Hook School shooting had just taken place. At the Ready realizes that one of the primary tasks of responders in this scenario is to get inside as quickly as possible, find and engage the shooter. The advanced technologies discussed here allowed the Eufaula responders to get inside and engage the shooter quicker than they did without them. At the Ready is publishing this information to add to the necessary discussion about ways to more effectively respond in scenarios like this one.

Introduction

For more than a decade, unmanned systems have proven their value to the United States military. These systems provide a means for soldier operators to see what the employed systems see from a standoff distance. Operators fly Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) at varying altitudes to pinpoint enemy locations, monitor activities, survey the battlefield, assess battle damage, and conduct general reconnaissance, among other tasks. Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGV) are being employed in largely the same roles but also possess the capability for close-in inspection and investigation of suspicious objects, defeat of improvised explosive devices, and operation in other places where UAS cannot be employed. Law Enforcement and other First Responders are just now starting to realize the benefits of these advanced technologies for largely the same purposes.

This experiment was conducted December 3-6, 2012 at the Southeastern Equipment and Technology Advancement Center (SETAC) in Eufaula, Alabama to assess the value and utility of advanced technologies for the First Responder in a school shooting scenario. UNEQ chose the Eufaula department because its staff, training, and equipment is representative of police departments serving and protecting the 18,112 incorporated places in the United States with populations of 24,999 people and fewer . There are 18,112 of these incorporated places and only 1,428 incorporated places with populations of 25,000 people or more. These numbers do not reflect the many unincorporated places in the United States.

In preparation for the experiment, on December 3, the participating vendors trained personnel from the Eufaula Police and Fire/Rescue Departments. In addition, SEMCO integrated their VDU-100 Video Distribution Unit with RoboteX’s Avatar II Tactical UGV and Air Robot’s AR-100B UAS. On December 4, UNEQ conducted side experiments with the UGV and the UAS to characterize their performance in the operational environment and gain the requisite understanding of their capabilities. December 4th concluded with a pilot test, where UNEQ and the First Responders ran the scenario with all data collectors in place, completing all required data collection instruments.

During the pilot test, experiment staff conducted a shakeout of data collection procedures to insure the effectiveness of the data collection instruments. On December 5, UNEQ and the First Responders conducted experimentation for record by conducting two iterations of the school shooting scenario.
UNEQ chose to use a school shooting scenario because it fully taxed the Eufaula First Responders and thereby allowed them to employ each of the technologies to their fullest potential. UNEQ conducted the two iterations; a base case, where the First Responders responded with just their organic equipment; and a technology case, where they responded with the Avatar II, and the AR-100B, both with the capability to distribute their video.

Avatar II Tactical Robot (RoboteX). The RoboteX AVATAR II (see Figure 1) is a small ground robot whose dimensions are 24.41 in. x 15.35 in. x 6.14 in. It weighs 25 pounds without the battery. It has a reported operating range of 300 meters and can operate for approximately 4-5 hours. The Avatar II has a wide-angle color drive camera that allows the operator to see what the camera sees. It comes with a variety of accessories that provide additional capabilities.

VDU-100 Video distribution system (SEMCO). The VDU-100 (Figure 2) allows the user to encode and transmit video using several wireless and wired transmission modes from its point of collection to essentially anywhere in the world on a near realtime basis. Users can view the decoded video simultaneously on an unlimited number of commercial devices. The viewer(s) can control camera pan, tilt, and zoom functions, perform video enhancement, and adjust frame rate and resolution. With a laptop or PC as the viewer, the user can record video or photos locally.

AR-100B Micro unmanned aircraft system (AirRobot). The AR-100 (Figure 3) is a Vertical Take-Off and Landing Micro UAS that weighs less than 2 pounds and is virtually silent because of its electrical propulsion system. First Responders can fly it for close range, stealth Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations out of line of sight during day and night operations. While airborne, it provides real time full motion video and IR thermal imaging feed to the ground station where the operator can record it.

In both trials, there was one perpetrator, multiple mock explosive devices, and multiple casualties. We mitigated the learning effect and controlled its impact on the experiment by placing the mock explosive devices in different locations (except for the device on the roof), changed the locations of casualties, and changed slightly, the location of the shooter. The advanced technology trial established the value and utility of using the advanced technologies for the accomplishment of this scenario.

Analysis of data from the two cases provided the difference in performance afforded by the use of the UAS, UGV, and distributed video system. Both departments responded code 2 (normal traffic), and the response time; while recorded, was not analyzed as part of the experiment data because neither of the unmanned systems would have caused a delay in response or contributed to a quicker response. Had this been an actual school shooting, the Eufaula departments most likely would have called for additional personnel and mutual aid agencies would have responded. This experiment included only Eufaula’s organic personnel capabilities.

Scenario Site: SETAC High School campus is located at 315 Outback Road in Clayton, Alabama. The school is a one-story building with odd angled long hallways and thirty-six rooms. The High School sits on a 250-acre campus with separate vocational education, mechanical arts, administrative and storage buildings. As part of a modernization project, the school district recently approved the demolition of two of the buildings and the construction of upgraded buildings in their place. Demolition took place last week and workers had not yet removed the rubble and debris to begin new construction.

In the scenario, a SETAC high school student burst into the school brandishing weapons and explosives. He had reportedly killed several students and teachers and threatened to blow up the school and other buildings on campus. The majority of students were able to escape from the main school building, but the gunman was holding hostage an unknown number of students somewhere in the school. The Eufaula First Responders were tasked with diffusing the situation, locating and neutralizing any unexploded ordnance, rescuing the hostages, and detaining the suspect as they would had this been a real school shooting.NOTE: This scenario was slightly different from most mass shootings in that the shooter did not also immediately kill himself; but very much like others where the shooter kills several people then takes hostages or tries to escape. UNEQ purposely set the scenario this way to create an active situation in which the First Responders could exercise the advanced technologies to their fullest and where significant learning could take place.

Demographics: Twenty-one Eufaula First Responders, composed of 9 SWAT and 12 Fire/Rescue personnel, participated in this experiment. Their average age is 35 years with an average of 10 years of experience in their respective fields, 6.5 years (average) of which they have spent in the Eufaula force. Typical training for all participants includes Alabama Peace Officer and Basic SWAT training, Firefighter I and II with basic EMS and HazMat. Other participant qualifications include Weapons Instructor, Sniper, Less Than Lethal Weapons, Demolition, Mechanical Breaching, Paramedic, Fire Officer I and II, Apparatus Operator, Fire engineer, Confined Space Rescue, and Weapons of Mass Destruction Awareness.

Data collection: Data Collector 1 was with the SWAT team, Data Collector 2 with the EMS team, Data Collector 3 at the Tactical Operations Center, and Data Collector 4 in the position that allowed him to collect the required data concerning the overall scene. For instance, Data Collector 4 started the iterations at the front gate of the campus, moved to the front of the school to observe UAS flights, moved inside the school to observe and record actions with the UGV, and he moved to other locations where action was occurring but not being recorded by one of the other data collectors. The Data Collectors recorded every action taken by their respective elements, how the actions took place, the times at which those actions took place, how their respective elements accomplished those actions, and took notes as required.

Baseline Trial: The purpose of the baseline trial was to record the events and actions taken by the Eufaula First Responders in responding to the school shooting with only their currently issued equipment. In the baseline trial, there was one perpetrator, multiple mock explosive devices, and multiple casualties.

Advanced Technology Trial: The purpose of the advanced technology trial was to record the events and actions taken by the Eufaula First Responders in responding to the school shooting with the advanced technologies and draw comparisons to the baseline trial.
Conclusions. Value is the relative worth, merit, or importance of something. Therefore, relative to the baseline, the advanced technologies were very valuable to the First Responders in this school-shooting scenario.

The SWAT team entered the school 34 minutes sooner than in the baseline. They apprehended the suspect 36 minutes sooner than in the baseline; and EMS personnel got visual confirmation of casualties 1 hour and 33 minutes sooner than in the baseline. SWAT and TOC officers made better decisions because they based them on what they saw from video of the scene and what they heard from radio communications between them and the SWAT team. In the baseline trial, they made decisions based on what they heard alone. SWAT and TOC officers moved more confidently along the avenue of approach and selected the point-of-entry with more confidence because they had seen them first by viewing the UAS video. In the baseline, they could not see the entire avenue of approach until they traversed it; and the point-of-entry until they were in it. Even though they still could not enter the scene before SWAT declared it secure, EMS personnel could better plan for treatment and mutual aid support because they could see casualties sooner via the UAS and UGV video.

TOC, SWAT, and EMS personnel were better protected because they could see behind the school, in the rear-windows, inside the halls and rooms, and on the roof of the school. In the baseline trial, they could not see behind the school unless SWAT was there. They could not see in the rear windows at all. They could not see inside the halls and rooms until they were in them, and they could not see on the roof at all.
TOC, SWAT, and EMS personnel were better protected because the advanced technologies allowed them to see explosive devices through the UGV and the UAS video without exposing themselves. In the baseline, the only way they could find them was by exposing themselves.
Utility is the state or quality of being useful. Therefore, the advanced technologies had great utility for the First Responder in this school-shooting scenario. They used them to identify and “clear” avenues of approach and points of entry; see where they could not see without them; locate explosive devices without exposing themselves; identify and attempt to assess casualties; “clear” rooms, and maintain visual of an area, object, room, or hallway without dedicating personnel.

Had the First Responders conducted the advanced technology trial without the capability to distribute the video via IP based applications on smartphones and other devices, the only officers who would have seen the video would have been the operators of the systems and those who could look over their shoulders to see the respective displays on the Operator Control Units. EMS personnel would not have been able to see the video at all, since they were in a staging area away from the TOC for most of the time during the trials.

In most cases, the operator of the system is not the officer who most needs to see the video. When these operators saw something in the UAS or UGV video they would have had to interpret what they saw then tell in person or call the other officers on the radio to inform them of what they saw. It is likely that this method of communicating what they saw through the unmanned systems video would have been less effective and taken more time to get the information to the officers who needed it most. In essence, this method would have limited the value and utility of the unmanned systems video to “one view and one perspective.”
Distributing the video from the unmanned systems to any officer with a smartphone and the proper permissions to access the video,allowed for much more effective use of the video and opened the value and utility of employing the advanced technologies to “one view and many perspectives.”

Summary

The UAS, UGV, and distributed video capability assessed in this experiment were of great value and utility to the First Responders in this school-shooting scenario.

End notes:
1. United States Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2012. There are 16,570 incorporated places in the United States with populations of 10,000 people or fewer and 1,542 incorporated places in the United States with populations of 10,000-24,999 people. (16,570 +1542= 18,112).
2. The population of Eufaula in 2010 was 13,137 (U.S. Census Bureau).
3. United States Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2012. There are 723 incorporated places in the U.S. with populations of 25,000-49,999 people, 432 incorporated places in the U.S with 50,000-99,999 people; 200 incorporated places with 100,000-249,999 people; 40 incorporated places with 250,000-499,999 people; 24 incorporated places with 500,000-999,999 people, and 9 incorporated places with 1,000,000 or more people (723+432+200+40+24+9=1,428).

About the Author
Mike Kennedy is a frequent contributor to At the Ready Magazine. He is a former Airborne Ranger Infantryman and after the Army spent fourteen years working for the U.S. Army Maneuver Battle as an Experimentation Manager, where he routinely worked with Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Robotic Systems-Joint Project Office, Aviation and Missile Research Development and Engineering Center and numerous other government labs to develop and test new equipment and concepts designed to make Soldier’s lives better. At the Battle Lab, Mike managed and supervised the execution of experiments, data collection procedures, analysis of raw data and presentation of results in written form for Army decision makers. He personally planned, coordinated, and executed more than 80 unmanned systems experimentation events. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from American Military University. Mike’s professional training includes the Test and Evaluation Basic Course, Project Management, Scheduling and Cost Control, Advanced Techniques of Project Management, Fundamentals of Systems Acquisition Management, Capabilities Based Planning, Business Case Analysis, and the Army Capabilities Development Course.

How to Be Safe at a Concert

At the Ready Magazine 2 — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 21:02:00 +0000

by Brian Duff

Originally published in Mind4Survival October 4, 2017

With the recent events in Las Vegas, several people asked what my thoughts are on how to be safe at a concert. So, to get information out to as many people as possible, I decided to write this, and this free Crowd Safe Mindset downloadable guide.

I hope that it helps others become more safe, secure and prepared before they go to a concert or similar event. To start off with, I’ve spent a lifetime making sure others are safe. Like many of you, I’m fortunate to have a fantastic and exciting life. However, while my life is full of countless great experiences it also holds some less than ideal experiences and hard-won lessons.

The number one lesson I learned is that our chances of recognizing, dealing with, and overcoming life’s challenges are significantly improved when we add a few basic concepts to our mental security and safety process. One of those fundamental concepts includes an improved crowd safety mindset. As many recent tragic events have shown, large gatherings are tempting targets for those seeking to cause harm.
Because of this, it’s now more critical than ever that you take the time to learn how to protect yourself and others. When you do, you will be better prepared to live a safe and enjoyable life that includes attending all sorts of fun events. With that, let’s get going and let me help you better understand how to be safe at a concert.

Goals
There are five goals that I want you to take away from this. Each one of these goals focuses on one key area when helping you to know how to be safe at a concert.
These goals are:
1. Understand situational awareness
2. Learn to create a basic plan when attending a concert
3. How you should dress for the event
4. How to deal with the crowd
5. Expose you to basic casualty trauma care ideas

Situational Awareness

“The difference between being a victim and a survivor is often a low level of situational awareness.” ~Barry Eisler

Perhaps the essential skill that a person may have, especially when it applies to how to be safe at a concert, is situational awareness. It is your awareness of what is occurring around you that will warn you in times of danger and show you the light in moments of happiness. Situational awareness is your awareness of your environment and its relationship to you in both the present and the future. Your environment is made up of all the living entities, inanimate objects and developing events that may have a positive or adverse effect on you. By understanding your environment, your situational awareness aids you in identifying potential impacts to the safety and security of yourself and others. With the potential impacts identified, you will be better able to formulate a positive response to either capitalize on or mitigate the effects of those effects.

Situational Awareness Checks
   •   Pay Attention: Have fun, but keep an eye on what is happening around you.
   •  Familiarize Yourself: Walk around the area when you arrive. Identify cover, concealment, and exits.
   •  Look, Listen and Observe: Identify anything that is not normal.
   •  Trust Your Instincts: Your instincts don’t lie. Listen to your gut.
   •  Be Willing to Leave: If there’s a problem, or something makes you uncomfortable, leave.

Create a Plan

“Failing to plan is planning to fail.” ~Alan Lakein

Planning is critical to any undertaking, especially when trying to learn how to be safe at a concert. We often take time plan a trip, a party, or a simple task at home. Why then shouldn’t we take the time to plan for a possible emergency?
As recent events, unfortunately, show, tragic situations can happen without notice, anywhere and at any time. Therefore, while we all should have a home and family emergency plan, it is also crucial that we take the time to quickly make a plan when out and about during our daily lives.
When going to the mall, a movie, a concert, or other gathering places, it is in our best interest to take a few minutes to make a plan. We can all make that happen by improving our situational awareness, planning and as part of the way we approach large gatherings. This is not to say that you should avoid crowds and not go to the ballpark, attend a concert, the theatre, or go window shopping.

What it is saying is that while you should continue to live your lives, do so with heightened awareness. After all, we plan to attend an event, why not add a little more planning due to the possibility that fire, disaster or an act of violence may happen while we’re there?
These plans don’t need a lot of detail. They don’t need to take a lot of time. They only need to let people know what to do if something happens. That way you’ll be better able to overcome any adversity that you encounter.

Planning Checks
   •  What to Do?: Plan what to do if something happens. For example, If this, then do that.
   •  Where to Meet?: Plan a meet-up location based on safety and security, not convenience.
   •  How to Communicate: Know how to get a hold of each other if you become separated.
   •  Be Concise: Keep the plan broad, but short and to the point.
   •  Brief the Plan: Make sure others know the plan. People should default to the plan during an emergency.

How to Dress

Wearing the right clothing is a factor to be considered when attending an event with large numbers of people. Obviously, you want to dress in a manner that is consistent with the occasion. However, some fundamentals may help you dress for success should trouble find you before the night is over. These fundamentals will aid you in being able to move away from potential danger more quickly and efficiently. Additionally, they will also work to minimize your chances of being a victim of crime.

By following these simple suggestions, you will be better prepared to have a safe and enjoyable time because you'll know how to be safe at a concert or large gathering.

Clothing Checks
   •  Closed Toe Shoes: Wearing closed-toe shoes will help you to move more quickly.
   •  No Loose Clothes: Loose clothing can become tangled or pulled.
   •  Dress for the Environment: Consider the weather and dress appropriately.
   •  No Purses or Wallets: Carry your ID, cash, and a credit or debit card, or two in your pocket. Wallets and purses get stolen and lost. Purses can get tangled or pulled.

The Crowd

“At the end of the day, the goals are simple: safety and security” ~Jodi Rell

With the tragedies of the past several years, one of the regular questions I receive asks what can be done to be safe in a large crowd. Sadly, in today’s world, large groups not only attract fun loving people, but they also draw monsters who are intent on causing harm. Fortunately, the odds are slim that you or any particular event will experience an act of extreme violence. However, while the odds are slim, they are 100% guaranteed to happen somewhere. Therefore, it’s vital that you are prepared to identify the threat and minimize its risk to you, your family and friends.
We can all make that happen by improving our knowledge for dealing with crowds as part of the way we approach large gatherings. After all, if we don't will we know how to be safe at a concert or other large gathering of people?

Crowd Checks
   •  Early & Late: Leave and arrive early or late to avoid the heaviest crowds.
   •  Edges & Exits: Stay on the sides of the crowd and near the exits.
   •  Go Around: Move around the crowd rather than walking through it.
   •  Sideways or Diagonal: If you need to get out of the crowd, move sideways or diagonal to the flow of the crowd.

Casualty Care

“Care shouldn’t start in the emergency room.” ~James Douglas

Unfortunately, in spite of everything, there is a small chance that you may be somewhere when evil strikes. In that event, you may find yourself trying to help others. You could be all that stands between injury and death. Therefore, it is essential that you know what to do and act upon that knowledge and skill. If you don't know, you should get training as soon as possible. After all, the life you save may be a family member or friend.
There is no debating that providing medical care sooner, rather than later, increases the chances of survival for trauma victims. Additionally, there is no arguing that EMS providers cannot be everywhere at all times. As such, many jurisdictions believe that an eight-minute response time for EMS acceptable.
Unfortunately, for the victims of trauma, they can bleed to death within three-minutes and suffer brain damage in as little as four minutes from lack of oxygen. Because of this, many trauma sufferers may die or suffer irreversible harm while waiting for EMS to arrive. Fortunately for all, there is a solution. That solution is you, me, our neighbors, family, and friends. After all, when a traumatic event occurs, it is not EMS who is there right away. It is us, the average bystander.

Just look at the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, the 2016 Nice truck attack and the 2017 Las Vegas concert shooting. When you do, you will see that it is ordinary people like you and me, rendering aid to the injured. Often, that help happens while the event is ongoing.

Casualty Care Checks
   •  Learn First Aid & CPR: The people who are directly involved in an incident can make the most significant and most timely impact on saving lives.
   •  Pocket Trauma Kits: The War on Terror has taught us that easy to carry items such as a tourniquet, pressure dressing, and chest seal saves lives. Remember: 1.) apply pressure, 2.) apply a dressing and pressure, 3.) apply a tourniquet.
   •  Bleeding: People can bleed to death within three minutes.
   •  Breathing: Individuals who are not breathing may suffer brain damage in four to six minutes.

Closing Out How to be Safe at a Concert

In closing, no one can predict when and where evil will strike. Chances are you will live a long, happy life, and will never encounter these type of tragic incidents. However, should you find yourself in such an event, it's good to know how to deal with it. In that vein, I hope you have found this article on how to be safe at a concert useful.

Lastly…
Never forget, you’re just one prep away.

About the Author

Brian Duff is the go to resource for concerned people who want to improve their safety, security and preparedness. He is a proud former Army Ranger, Paramedic, Firefighter, High Threat Security Specialist and International Security Director who has served and protected people around the globe for decades.
When he’s not working to help others, he can be found in the garage, tinkering away, out on the hiking trail, or meeting up with friends and occasionally trying to find the end of the Internet. Make the choice, take a look at Brian’s virtual home, Mind4Survival.com and set yourself up to overcome and survive any difficult situation.

The Story of a South African Firefighter with Over 30 Years of Dedicated Service

At the Ready Magazine 2 — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 20:53:38 +0000

by Andre Oosthuysen

When I was a boy I watched a story called “Groenie die draakie ek wil brandweerman word”, a 1970’s cartoon about a little dragon that wants to be a firefighter. The next morning, we were walking down Main Street in Greytown, shopping for clothes. In my walking, I passed the Fire Chief (Direction of Protection Services) of Greytown, GJ Naude. I turned around and followed him. He stopped, and I asked him if he could help me to become a fireman. As it was late on Friday afternoon, he said I should come to the office on Monday afternoon. That was the longest weekend in my life, Monday morning School made it even longer.

That Monday afternoon I walked over to the Fire Station. One of the fireman left the service, so I ended up getting a helmet and jacket. They were small but looked large on me. I also got size 10 leader boots, a belt and a fireman axe. My shoe size was 8, so I had to were 2 pair of shocks and put newspaper in front to make them fit. I left his office and he told me to be back at 18:00 to see what they do. I was there at 17:30. The CFO introduced me, the first drill was done, so I asked to join the parade. I have never looked back. I feel the same today as I did then, only much older. The CFO wrote letter to the principal of my school, Mr. Odendal, asking that I be exempted from all school sports and if they could use me if they needed to.

I replaced the fireman who left and started as a shift worker; 7 days on 7 days off for the next four years. My shift activities started at 14:00 and ended at 24:00. My duties included: pump operator, firefighting, Civil Defence Shift Leader, training of Civil Defence Fire Fighters, Training Pioneer Volunteer Fire Fighters, and fire prevention training for Council employees.

The fire station became my home. In those days, the CFO gave classes for South African Emergency Services Institute. I joined in on lectures and when exam time came, I was given an exam for a junior fireman. The exam paper was seen to be equal to STD 9 (Grade 11). Nobody expected me to pass, but pass I did. They then realized that I was only 13 and not 14. You had to be 14 years to be Civil Defence, so I became a member of SAESI in 1985, that year my certificate was issued to me.

Passing the exam at 13 was such an achievement that I made the newspaper. In those days the mayor gave the certificates out, but our mayor was out of town, so the deputy mayor awarded me my certificate.

In 1988 I received call up papers to the Air Force. I did not want to lose any fire experience, so when found out that I could join the Air Force as a member of the fire brigade, I was glad I would be able to live my dream. With the help of the CFO and my parents, I applied as an Air Force Fireman. They asked me to come to Pretoria for the interview. They were very happy with my Junior Fireman certificate and 4 years as fireman. The showed me that I qualified as corporal. As it was never done before for some finishing matric, to my knowledge, they said this would cause big problems, but they would make me a Lance Corporal and after a year make me a corporal.

In your first year as a beginner in the Air Force, you were known as a “roof” (Airman). Having rank, I became a “roof Aral”. In 1989 I completed basic (I celebrated my 18 birthday in basic; not so nice to have your birthday in basic). After basic I was assigned to Dunnottar Fire Training School in Transvaal Province (now Gauteng). After completing the school I went back to Greytown where I completed a code 11 driver license on a 22 ton payload Mercedes Benz truck.

I volunteered to go to Hoedspruit to further my career and wrote my Fireman exam. A year later I became a corporal and the next year a sergeant. This made me the youngest sergeant in the Air Force Fire Brigade. To my knowledge I was youngest in the Air Force. In 1991 I completed my Basic Ambulance Course at Cape Town. In 1992 I had wonderful experience with God. I prayed to return to Pretoria. Within 2 days of my prayer I was transferred to Waterkloof Air Force Base. Through the then Captain, van der Weshuizen, we wrote a letter to the General requesting permission for me to volunteer at Centurion Fire Department. It was approved. I learned all 14 vehicles and the control room during my volunteer sessions.

From January 1989 to May 1993 I was a firefighter in the Air Force. I was stationed at Hoedspruit from 1989 to 1992 and Waterkloof from 1992 to 1993 as a shift supervisor. My duties as supervisor included aerodrome (military airport) procedures. From 1991 to 1993 my duties included quality management controller, fire fighting, rescue operations, fire prevention, fire fighter supervisor and shift training officer. In 1993 I applied for a position at Centurion and was hired.

In 1997 I completed Ambulance Emergency Assistant (this is an Intermediate Life Support (ILS) certification, and generally close to the same scope of the US EMT-I). In 1998 I met my beautiful wife Ronel, and she challenged me to further my education. In 1999 I completed a higher certificate and started Bachelors of Technology (B-Tech) program at Tshwane University of Technology. I received my B-Tech degree in 2004.

From 2000-2006 I was the acting officer and when the re-structure of the City of Tshwane Fire Brigade was approved I became the officer. In 2015 I received my 30-year award from the South African Emergency Services Institute at the conference in Johannesburg. I am the youngest person to ever receive the award. Today I serve as the Company Commander in the north-east of Pretoria at Wonderboom Magalies Fire Station.

At the Region FEMA Region VI - EMS - AR, LA, NM, OK, TX (2018 Update)

At the Ready Magazine 2 — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 20:47:17 +0000

At the Region is an ongoing feature that discusses the state-by-state training, certification and employment requirements of first responder departments across the nation. This section looks at the history and development of first responder standards, and spotlights the way that small departments integrate local specialties into national regulations. This month we look at EMS requirements for certification or licensure in Region VI.

Emergency Medical Technician certification levels result from a combination of national requirements and state by state regulations. All EMT training must meet minimum standards provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA); this includes fundamentals in areas such as anatomy, medicine, and trauma, but states determine the final designations and requirements. An independent organization, the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians, also provides guidelines, and, although these are not mandatory, NREMT exams are used as the basis for certification at one or more levels in 45 states. Because of the variation in training, the NREMT national certification as an EMT does not equate to a license to practice, and transferring local certification depends on state by state reciprocity agreements.

Arkansas

The Arkansas Department of Health, section of Emergency Services, manages the licensure and licenses of EMS Providers in the state. Currently, Arkansas recognizes EMT-B, AEMT, and Paramedic. All EMS candidates must pass a criminal background check mandated by the State of Arkansas legislature. Rules and Regulations for EMS providers were updated and adopted January 23, 2017.

All EMT students in Arkansas must meet the minimum requirements:
   •  18 years of age
   •  enroll in EMT-basic training and pass EMT certification
   •  pass a criminal background check
   •  possess current CPR certification
   •  have a high school diploma, GED or equivalent
   •  must pass a drug screening

The Arkansas Department of Health, Section of Emergency Services, Publishes a Scope of Practice for all Licensed EMS levels in the state.

Reciprocity

The Department of Health approves Arkansas licensure for EMS personnel licensed in other states as long as they are in good standing. Military and ex-military personnel who hold a current National Registry of Emergency Medical Technician (NREMT) card are also eligible for Arkansas licensure. Applicants must be within the original certification/licensure period or have renewed in the State currently licensed before applying for Arkansas licensure. Applicants must successfully complete the Arkansas licensure requirements prior to the expiration date in which currently licensed. For more specific information, see page 59 of the Rules and Regulations.

General standards for reciprocity:
   •  Complete the Verification of EMT Status form (Obtained from the Department)
   •  Submission of an application for licensure and $20 application fee set forth by Arkansas Code Ann. § 20-13-211 payable to the Arkansas Department of Health
   •  Submission of an Arkansas Criminal History Background check and payment of the applicable fee to include both State and Federal Checks. This requirement may be waived if the individual holds an Arkansas Registered Nurse current, active license or holds a current, active Registered Nurse License from a nursing compact state
   •  Copy of a current signed Healthcare Provider CPR card (Must follow current American Heart Association Guidelines and require a hands on skills component) documenting completion of a CPR course designed specifically for healthcare providers
   •  Copy of a current State certification/licensure card, except for military personnel (see below)
   •  Copy of a current National Registry card at the current level being requested

Military trained personnel will be eligible for EMT Licensure ONLY, unless documentation is submitted showing completion of an accredited AEMT or Paramedic course including all didactic, clinical and field internship requirements. Military Personnel seeking Basic certification must complete all items listed in Section IX. F 1. (see rules and regulations), and the following:

   •  Submission of a DD 214 (or other formal discharge documentation) showing separation from the Military (Personnel stationed in the Continental United States or overseas, Reserve personnel must submit a copy of training information from their 201 file)
   •  Military Personnel seeking Advanced Emergency Medical Technician licensure must complete the requirements listed in Section IX.F. 1
   •  Military Personnel seeking Paramedic certification must complete the requirements listed in Section IX.F. 1

If you need additional information or have questions, please contact the Section of Emergency Medical Services at 501-661-2262

Louisiana

In Louisiana, individuals desiring to obtain an EMS License are required to complete an educational program approved by the Louisiana Bureau of EMS. Louisiana is a National Registry State, in that Certification in the National Registry is the requirement for first licensure in Louisiana. The National EMS Education Standards define the minimal entry-level educational competencies for each level of EMS personnel as identified in the National EMS Scope of Practice Model. For initial LA licensing information visit here.

The Bureau of EMS currently approves initial training programs at the following levels:
   •  Emergency Medical Responder
   •  Emergency Medical Technician
   •  Advanced EMT
   •  Paramedic

Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals publishes a skills list for all levels of EMS. Minimum Requirements:

   •  EMT candidates in Louisiana should not be less than 18 years of age
   •   A state-approved EMT training program should be completed by the candidate
   •  CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) certification is a must
   •  He/she should have passed a NREMT examination
   •  The candidate must provide a proof of his/her citizenship in the United States
   •  It is significant for the aspirant to possess good stamina and strong mental fitness to cope up with the hardships in the job
   •  He/she must be able to communicate well in English
   •  A criminal background check is compulsory for the candidate in Louisiana

Louisiana EMT-Intermediate to Advanced EMT Transition

• Transition from an EMT-Intermediate to an Advanced-EMT, must successfully complete a Bureau of EMS approved transition course. Applicants for the AEMT Bridge course must meet the course entrance requirements, as outlined by the Training Institution sponsoring the course, including pre-course assessments, if required
• EMT TO AEMT EMTs desiring to become licensed as an Advanced EMT, must meet the course entry requirements, as outlined by the Training Institution sponsoring the course, including pre-course assessments and/or testing, as required by sponsoring Training Institution

To enroll in an EMTA course, students must be currently licensed by the Louisiana Bureau of EMS as an EMT. Notes: Non-resident students with a valid NREMT certification at the EMT level, must apply for a Louisiana EMT License prior to starting clinical rotations and/or field internships. To take the NREMT Advanced-EMT exam, students must have a current NREMT EMT certification.

Reciprocity
Louisiana does not have reciprocity agreements with any other states. You must have a current Louisiana EMS license to practice as an EMS Practitioner in Louisiana. To qualify for an EMS license, you must have a valid National Registry of EMTs certification.

New Mexico

New Mexico requires all levels of EMS Providers to have National Registry Certification at the level of licensure. The licensing rules are available online.

All EMT students must complete:
   •  Criminal Background Check
   •  Immunizations
   •  Drug Screen and Health Exam
   •  Generally, the age of 18 is considered to obtain EMT license, but in New Mexico, a candidate with an age of 16 can also apply for certification under parental permission and other conditions.
   •  The EMT prospects have to complete a training coursework
   •  The applicants should have completed minimum education, i.e., a high school diploma or GED

Reciprocity

New Mexico has a provision to grant a temporary license while transferring an existing EMS NREMT Certification to licensure in the state. Individuals who are currently licensed or certified in another state or certified with the National Registry of EMT’s at any EMS licensure level, may apply for New Mexico EMS licensure by completing the following:
   •  Submit an application for the appropriate licensure level along with a copy of a current state certification/licensure card;
   •  Provide a copy of a current bureau approved CPR certification card;
   •  If applying for the EMT-P level, provide a copy of current bureau approved education which meets or exceeds the current national standard for advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) on emergency cardiac care (ECC);
   •  Pay the appropriate out-of-state reciprocity fee as required by these rules; there will be no refund of fees, except in unusual circumstances; as determined by the bureau;
   •  If applying for the EMSFR, EMT-B and EMT-I level, successfully complete a bureau approved transition course for out-of-state applicants, as determined by the EMS bureau;
   •  Successfully complete the New Mexico reciprocity written examination at the appropriate licensure level within three attempts and if, requested by the EMS bureau, successfully demonstrate appropriate practical skills proficiency; the initial state reciprocity examination shall be completed within nine months from the date the application was received at the EMS bureau; successful completion of the examination process that results in the issuance of a NM EMS license shall be complete within 12 months from the date the application was received at the EMS bureau; and
   •  meet all other licensing requirements found in 7.27.2.8 NMAC of these rules.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma changed its rules and regulations for EMS in 2016. A breakdown of the changes can be found here. As of 2010, All EMS Providers in the State of Oklahoma must be Nationally Registered. There is a provision for license renewal if the EMS licensee obtained the license prior to 2010: “all new EMS personnel licensed in Oklahoma after April 1, 2010 must maintain their National Registry Certification (O.A.C. 310:641-5-13 (a).”

EMS Personnel without National Registration:

Applicants who are currently not registered with National EMT Registry may continue to renew their Oklahoma EMS Personnel license if:
1. They have been licensed in Oklahoma before April 1, 2010
2. They have maintained their Oklahoma EMS license since April 1, 2010

Oklahoma also publishes an Authorized Procedure List by level of Certification.

Reciprocity

As of the publishing of this article, the reciprocity requirements and eligibility information are not available. For more information, please contact:
Oklahoma State Department of Health
1000 NE 10th
Oklahoma City, OK 73117
Local: (405) 271-5600 Toll Free: (800) 522-0203

Texas

Texas has five levels of certification. The highest is Licensed Paramedic, followed by EMT-Paramedic, EMT-Intermediate, EMT-Basic and Emergency Care Attendant (ECA). EMS degree programs are available, though many courses are offered through technical programs and others are approved through programs outside college settings. In Texas, EMS training programs are approved and monitored by staff in field offices located throughout the state.

Applicants for Licensure must:
   •  Be at least 18 years old
   •  Have a high school diploma or GED certificate
   •  Successfully complete a DSHS approved EMS training course
   •  Submit a completed EMS Personnel Certification application and fee
   •  Pass the National Registry exam
   •  Submit fingerprints for Texas/FBI criminal history check.

Reciprocity

Reciprocity Eligibility for a full four-year Texas EMS certificate is contingent upon:
• Verification of a current EMS certification from another state or US territory
o MUST Submit an Out of State Verification Form A, completed by EACH state you currently hold or have ever held certification in

Applicants seeking reciprocity at the Advanced EMT level must have training (verifiable by the certifying state agency) that includes alternative airway intubation devices, and IV initiation as required for Advanced EMT certification in Texas.

Applicants for reciprocity must be at least 18 years old and have completed an EMS Personnel Reciprocity Certification Application and paid the fee. They must also pass a criminal history background verification, undergo an FBI fingerprint criminal history check using IdentoGo, and submit fingerprints through the Texas Fingerprint Service Code Form.

Applicants without a current National Registry (NR) certification must contact the NR to take their Assessment exam for the State of Texas. Applicants will not be approved to take the NR Assessment exam until the department has received an reciprocity application, fees, and verified you have a current EMS certification from another state or US territory.

At the Region FEMA Region VI - LEO - AR, LA, NM, OK, TX (2018 Update)

At the Ready Magazine 2 — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 18:17:43 +0000

At the Region is an ongoing feature that discusses the state-by-state training, certification and employment requirements of first responder departments across the nation. In this issue, At the Region looks at requirements for law enforcement officers in FEMA Region VI: Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.

Law enforcement includes an extremely diverse range of agencies dedicated to promoting safety and public order through the application of national and regional laws and regulations. The variation of laws and penalties nationally and internationally necessitates region-specific training and specialization, while at the same time, officers must be familiar with overarching legislation and judicial decisions governing procedure and jurisdictional reach. This applies to agencies at the federal, state, county, and municipal levels, all of whom serve and protect their constituency in a dangerous field that exists within a complex and challenging framework.

Arkansas

The Arkansas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training (CLEST) establishes minimum selection and training standards for admission to employment as a law enforcement officer in Arkansas. All applicants for law enforcement positions must meet the requirements established by CLEST and complete CLEST approved training to obtain their certification. The Standards Division oversees employment, training, and certification requirements established by the CLEST. Their mission is “to continue to upgrade law enforcement through assistance to municipal, county, and state agencies in training and the certification of law enforcement officers employed by the agencies both full-time and part-time.” No person will be appointed as a law enforcement officer, except on a temporary basis not to exceed nine (9) months, unless the person has satisfactorily completed a program of police training at a school approved by the commission. To complete the certification process, newly employed full-time officers must complete the Law Enforcement Basic Training Course within the first 6 months of hire. All law enforcement officers and county corrections officers must also complete the Mandatory Firearms Training Course.

Every officer employed by a law enforcement unit shall:
   •  Be a citizen of the United States
   •  Be at least 21 years of age
   •  Be fingerprinted and a search initiated of state and national fingerprint files to disclose any criminal record
   •  Be free of a felony record. A felony record means having entered a plea of guilty, been found guilty, or otherwise having been convicted of an offense, the punishment for which could have been imprisonment in a federal penitentiary or a state penitentiary. The fact that an individual has received a pardon, or their record has been expunged does not release the individual from having a felony record
   •  Be of good character as determined by a thorough background investigation
   •  Be a high school graduate or have passed the General Education Development (GED) Test indicating high school graduation level
   •  Be examined by a licensed physician and meet the physical requirements
   •  Be interviewed personally prior to employment by the department head or his representative, or representatives to determine such things as the applicant’s motivation, appearance, demeanor, attitude and ability to communicate
   •  Be examined by an individual licensed to practice psychiatry or psychology and qualified to perform such evaluations in the State of Arkansas, who after examination finds the officer to be competent and recommends the agency hire the individual
   •  Possess a valid driver’s license
   •  Successfully complete a CLEST firearms qualification and review departmental policies, specifically policies covering the use of force, criminal law, and emergency vehicle operations. (No officer may carry a firearm in the course of employment or in the performance of official duties until this requirement is met and documented on the Initial Employment Report (F-1) submitted to the Office of Law Enforcement Standards
   •  For continued employment, must successfully complete a minimum of sixteen (16 hours of CLEST certified training annually, to include firearms qualification and racial profiling
   •  Be free of a misdemeanor domestic violence conviction, in accordance with 18 USC section 922

You can find more detail on these requirements here.

Veterans to Law Enforcement

The CLEST also administers a program called Veterans to Law Enforcement. In this program, qualified military veterans interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement can attend the police academy. Eligibility requirements are as follows:
   •  Served at least six (6) months active duty in the armed services within ten (10) years prior to application
   •  Meet minimum standards as required of an Arkansas law enforcement officer as specified in CLEST Regulation 1002
   •  Pay the non-refundable cost of the training prior to attending the basic training course
   •  The Director of CLEST will be the final approving authority for an applicant’s acceptance into the program

Veterans that fail any portion of the basic police training course are ineligible to attend another course for a 24-month period and are no longer eligible to apply for the Veterans to Law Enforcement program. Veterans that successfully complete the basic police training course must begin employment with a law enforcement agency as a full-time or part-time officer within three (3) years of the date of the completion of the basic training course for the training to remain valid.

Reciprocity

The commission can issue a waiver for equivalent training upon presentation of documentary evidence by a department that an officer has satisfactorily completed equivalent training.
   •  Training received in a state with laws governing or regulating law enforcement training must, if subject to such review, have been approved or certified in the state in which the training was received
   •  The Commission may elect to prescribe as a condition of certification the satisfactory completion of the Law Enforcement Officer Refresher Course or other supplementary or remedial training necessary to equate previous training with current standards
   •  For certification purposes, those Full-time Law Enforcement Officers who have not met the minimum classroom hours of training, but have accumulated at least 50% of the required hours may, at the discretion of the Commission, receive ten (10) classroom hours of credit for each year of Full-time law enforcement experience
   •  Those who qualify for this equivalent training waiver will be required to satisfactorily complete the Law Enforcement Refresher Course
   •  Where approved by the Commission, individuals who meet all other requirements of certification, and who receive a waiver under this regulation, shall be entitled to certification after the completion of the appropriate probationary period.

Louisiana

The Louisiana Peace Officer Standards and Training Council (POST) develops training standards for peace officers in the State of Louisiana. The Council is responsible for developing and evaluating the curriculum of mandatory basic training courses for municipal officers, deputy sheriffs, state police, wildlife agents and all other persons commissioned as peace officers, defined by state law.

Minimum standards set by POST include the following musts:
   •  Be at least 20 years of age
   •  Be a United States citizen
   •  Have a high school diploma or GED
   •  Be able to meet the physical demands to perform the duties of a police officer
   •  Have 20/20 corrected vision, not greater than 20/100 uncorrected vision, and you must not have any color blindness
   •  Have normal hearing
   •  Not have a criminal history
   •  Possess a valid driver’s license
   •  Have no physical limitations or deformities that would prohibit you from completing the duties of a police officer
   •  Undergo a polygraph interview and examination
   •  Pass a physical fitness evaluation consisting of a 1.5-mile run, push-ups, sit-ups, and an obstacle course
   •  Submit to a background investigation
   •  Participate in an oral interview
   •  Undergo a medical and psychological examination.

Reciprocity

Officers wishing to transfer from out of state may be eligible for certification by meeting the following requirements at an accredited academy:
   •  Present a valid out-of-state POST certificate of training
   •  Successfully complete the Louisiana Law Enforcement Basic Training Manual, "Legal Aspects" Section, and Firearms section, and qualify on the POST firearms qualification course
   •  Qualify on the POST firearms qualification course, as attested to by a certified firearms instructor
   •  Pass the statewide examination for peace officers with a minimum score of 70%.

If there has been an interruption of service in excess of five years, the officer is required to attend the full basic academy.

New Mexico

The Training and Recruiting Division of the New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy Board, under the Department of Public Safety establish rules, policies, qualifications, and standards for the employment, certification, and training of law enforcement officers and ensures compliance with the New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy Board Rules.

Minimum requirements to become a police officer in New Mexico:
   •  Be 21 years of age at the time of your academy graduation
   •  Have a high school diploma or GED
   •  Have a valid New Mexico driver’s license
   •  Be a U.S. citizen
   •  Have no felonies, frequent criminal activity or improper conduct on your record and you must have an excellent driver history
   •  Completed at least 60 hours of college credits (any course) or…
   •  attend San Juan college and receive 30 hours of credits and complete the other 30 after graduation (discussed below) or…
   •  complete 30 college hours and attend the academy which will be accredited 30 college hours.

For enrollment in the New Mexico Department of Public Safety Training Center’s Basic Police Officer Training Program, or New Mexico Regional Academy Program, applicants must submit a complete Basic Police Officer Training Application Packet.

Reciprocity

New Mexico has a waiver process to become a certified peace officer for those individuals whom the Board has previously certified but whose certification has become inactive or for those individuals who have functioned as a peace officer in another state or with the federal government whose training and experience substantially conform to the basic course curriculum of New Mexico.

Every applicant for certification by waiver of previous training must meet all qualifications and requirements as established in New Mexico statutes and New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy Board administrative rules. Any previously certified New Mexico peace officer must attend the Certification by Waiver program if they have been out of commissioned law enforcement for more than two (2) years without six (6) consecutive months of service. Any applicant who has not been employed as a full-time law enforcement officer for a period in excess of eight (8) years must attend the basic police officer training program to become certified.

The Director may consider the applicant’s certified law enforcement experience and give credit of 40 hours per year for each year of service, up to but not to exceed ten (10) years, for a total of 400 hours and, the applicant will receive credit for advanced training, up to but not to exceed 400 hours. Applicant experience and training must be equivalent to the current minimum standards of training curriculum in effect at the time of application, which is currently 824 hours, unless such deficiencies are covered in the Certification by Waiver Program. For those wanting to challenge the exam, more information and exam dates can be found here.

Oklahoma

The Oklahoma Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training (CLEET) is established under Oklahoma Law to provide for basic peace officer certification, establishing and conducting basic academies for all full-time peace officers employed by city, county, or state entities of government, with the exception of approved academy agencies. CLEET also provides for basic reserve officer certification for reserve peace officers employed by city, county, or state entities of government, by providing the curriculum, setting minimum standards, and by administrative oversight.

In order to complete CLEET approved certification training, officers must meet, at a minimum, the following conditions:
   •  Be at least 21 years of age prior to certification as a peace officer
   •  Must be a United States citizen or in resident alien status, as defined by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
   •  Must possess a high school diploma or a GED equivalency certificate
   •  Must not have been convicted in state or federal court for any felony, crime of moral turpitude, or a crime of domestic violence
   •  Must have fingerprint clearance from Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation
   •  Must have undergone psychological evaluation by the employing agency using a psychological instrument approved by CLEET
   •  Must be commissioned or appointed by employing agency prior to attending CLEET approved certification training
   •  Must not have been involuntarily committed to an Oklahoma state mental institution
   •  Must certify that he or she is physically able to fully participate in and complete all phases of the CLEET Basic Peace Officer Certification Academy as mandated in CLEET rules
   •  Must submit all required documentation and enrollment materials.

Reciprocity

Any officer seeking Oklahoma Peace Officer Certification, who has been certified by a state peace officer standards and training agency as a peace officer in another state, or any officer who has been certified as a federal peace officer by a Council recognized federal law enforcement agency, may obtain certification by reciprocity, under the following conditions:

   •  The officer must meet the minimum peace officer employment standards set forth by law
   •  The officer must have been employed as a full time peace officer for at least three (3) months within the two (2) year period immediately preceding the request for Oklahoma certification
   •  The officer must attend training as specified by CLEET
   •  The officer must successfully pass a certification examination which is designed to be scored by functional area blocks, with the exception of skills training functional areas which shall not be tested. Officers must pass every functional area block tested at a standard prescribed by the Council. Officers may have one retest for each functional area block which they fail
   •  If an officer fails both a block test and a retest for any given functional area, then that officer must successfully complete the corresponding functional area in a CLEET Basic Academy, to include successfully passing the block examination(s). Any retest would follow the guidelines listed in OAC 390:15-1-13.

Texas

The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLES) is the state agency that certifies law enforcement officers in the state. To become licensed as a peace officer in Texas applicants must successfully complete the basic licensing course, pass the state licensing examination; and be appointed by a law enforcement agency. Minimum requirements to attempt to gain a license include:

   •  For peace officers and public security officers, is 21 years of age; or 18 years of age if the applicant has received:
     o  an associate's degree; or 60 semester hours of credit from an accredited college or university; or has received an honorable discharge from the armed forces of the United States after at least two years of active service;
   •  has passed a general educational development (GED) test indicating high school graduation level; or holds a high school diploma;
   •  fingerprinted and is subjected to a search of local, state and U.S. national records and fingerprint files to disclose any criminal record;
   •  has never been on court-ordered community supervision or probation for any criminal offense above the grade of Class B misdemeanor or a Class B misdemeanor within the last ten years from the date of the court order;
   •  is not currently charged with any criminal offense for which conviction would be a bar to licensure;
   •  has never been convicted of an offense above the grade of a Class B misdemeanor or a Class B misdemeanor within the last ten years;
   •  has never been convicted or placed on community supervision in any court of an offense involving family violence as defined under Chapter 71, Texas Family Code;
   •  is not prohibited by state or federal law from operating a motor vehicle;
   •  is not prohibited by state or federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition;
   •  has been subjected to a background investigation;
   •  examined by a physician, selected by the appointing or employing agency, who is licensed by the Texas Medical Board. The physician must be familiar with the duties appropriate to the type of license sought and appointment to be made. The appointee must be declared by that professional, on a form prescribed by the commission, within 180 days before the date of appointment by the agency to be:
     o  physically sound and free from any defect which may adversely affect the performance of duty appropriate to the type of license sought;
     o  show no trace of drug dependency or illegal drug use after a blood test or other medical test;
   •  examined by a psychologist, selected by the appointing, employing agency, or the academy, who is licensed by the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists. This examination may also be conducted by a psychiatrist licensed by the Texas Medical Board. The psychologist or psychiatrist must be familiar with the duties appropriate to the type of license sought. The individual must be declared by that professional, on a form prescribed by the commission, to be in satisfactory psychological and emotional health to serve as the type of officer for which the license is sought.
   •  has never received a dishonorable or other discharge based on misconduct which bars future military service;
   •  has not had a commission license denied by final order or revoked;
   •  is not currently on suspension, or does not have a surrender of license currently in effect;
   •  meets the minimum training standards and passes the commission licensing examination for each license sought;
   •  is a U.S. citizen.

Reciprocity

If you are a law enforcement officer from other areas review the “Out of State/Federal Application.” To obtain Texas licensure you must meet all of the work, training and application requirements. You will be required to complete an initial application, including fingerprints through FAST, to determine your eligibility. Do not proceed to the next steps until you have received approval for eligibility, which TCOLES will send you by mail.

Once TCOLES approves your eligibility, the additional steps include:
   •  Successful completion of the Texas Supplemental Peace Officer course (1018) (instructions provided with eligibility approval);
   •  Successful completion of the TCOLE Rules Overview (1305) if eligibility form is received after June 1, 2014 (instructions provided with eligibility approval);
   •  Approval of the exam application, and receive endorsement from TCOLE (exam application provided only when eligibility is approved);
   •  Passing of the state licensing examination; and
   •  Appointment by a law enforcement agency within two years from the date of your passed examination.

At the Region FEMA Region VI - Fire - AR, LA, NM, OK, TX

At the Ready Magazine 2 — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 18:15:19 +0000

At the Region is an ongoing feature that discusses the state-by-state training, certification and employment requirements of first responder departments across the nation. In this issue, At the Region looks at requirements for firefighters in FEMA Region VI: Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.

Arkansas

The Arkansas Fire Training Academy at Southern Arkansas University Tech, is accredited by the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC) and the National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications (NPQS or Pro-Board) to certify personnel to the Firefighter I, Firefighter II, Driver/Operator, Hazardous Materials-Awareness, Hazardous Materials-Operations, Instructor I and Fire Officer I & II levels.

Minimum requirements to become a firefighter in Arkansas include:
   •  Be at least 21 years old
   •  Have a high school diploma or equivalent
   •  Pass a background check and a physical exam
   •  Have no felony convictions
   •  Have acceptable vision (uncorrected visual acuity must not exceed 20/50 in either eye, correctable to 20/20 in the stronger eye and 20/30 in the weaker eye)
   •  Be a United States citizen by date of hire
   •  Be in good physical condition
   •  Be of good moral character
   •  Obtain or hold a valid Arkansas Class D Driver’s License by date of hire
   •  Successfully complete all required Selection Procedures.

Arkansas cities may add additional requirements. For instance, Little Rock requires that candidates meet the following:
   •  Be at least 20 and 1/2 years of age but less than 35 years of age* by the date of the written examination. No person shall be hired as a Firefighter who has not arrived at the age of 21
   •  Any applicant who arrives at the age of 35* during the selection process shall be immediately disqualified and will not be eligible to receive an offer of employment
They do make an exception for maximum age though, as any person who has:
   •  at least two (2) years of previous experience as a paid firefighter with another fire department and whose years of experience as a paid firefighter when subtracted from the person’s age leaves a remainder of not more than thirty-two (32) years shall be eligible.

You must first become a volunteer firefighter and then you can attend the Fire Training Academy to become a fully certified firefighter.

Reciprocity
It is unclear if the State of Arkansas offers reciprocal certification for equivalent training in another state.

Louisiana

Louisiana is interesting because the parishes decide the standards for becoming a firefighter. The baseline prerequisites include:
   •  Being over the age of 18,
   •  Reside within reasonable proximity of local fire station
   •  Pass a medical exam
   •  Hold a valid driver’s license and Social Security card
   •  Have a clean criminal history

Louisiana considers both firefighters and police officers in the same group of civil servants. Louisiana also uses a scheme of categorization that breaks individual departments down into either civil servant departments or non-civil servant departments. Applicants to become firefighter submit an application to the municipal service board in the town where they want to work. The board reviews applications and approves or disapproves. Those whom are approved get to take an Entrance Firefighter Exam. The exam is competitive and is handled by the Office of State Examiner Municipal Fire and Police Civil Service (OSE). It is not necessary to take the exam in the jurisdiction in which you want to work, but you must meet the requirements for the exam in the jurisdiction in which you take it. The OSE website offers great information for those wishing to apply. Here you can find applications, study guides by jurisdiction, points of contact for municipal service boards, and other great information. Make sure you read through the website thoroughly before making application.

Reciprocity

The Louisiana State University Fire and Emergency Training Institute handles reciprocity. Reciprocity applications are only accepted for applicants who are currently working for a Louisiana Fire Department, so go get hired first. Certifications that meet the requirements that the LSU program follows will be processed. Those that don’t meet the requirements will not be processed. There is a $30.00 fee payable upon approval of certification.

New Mexico

The New Mexico Fire Training Academy handles certification for the state. The Academy's certification programs are accredited by the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress. The minimum requirements to be eligible to become a firefighter in New Mexico include:

   •  Be at least 18 years old
   •  Have a valid driver’s license
   •  High school diploma or GED
   •  U.S. citizenship or legal residency
   •  Pass a written exam
   •  Pass a complete medical checkup (most often CPAT) and complete drug screen
   •  Face-to-face interview with hiring authority

Some New Mexico departments require firefighters to also hold EMT (minimum) licensure by the end of the recruitment period. Only EMT certification training from New Mexico or the National Registry is accepted. Also, applicants must pass Hazardous Materials, Basic Firefighter Emergency Medical Services, Incident Command and Wild land Firefighting for admission into the State Firefighters Training Academy.

Reciprocity

The training academy may issue reciprocity if:
   •  Applicant is a current resident of New Mexico and/or a member in good standing of a New Mexico Fire Department
   •  A copy of the certificate with an IFSAC seal and authenticating number verifies current certification. The seal and number must be readable and intact
   •  Applicant must submit documentation verifying completion of any prerequisites required by the New Mexico Firefighters Training Academy for the occupational level in which reciprocity is sought
   •  The occupational level of the applicant’s current certification must also be accredited in New Mexico by IFSAC.

Candidates who failed either a written or skills New Mexico certification exam earlier will not be considered for reciprocity. Reciprocity will only be granted for the NFPA edition of the original certificate. Reciprocity will only be considered for the last two revision cycles.
For reciprocity consideration, a reciprocity application, the applicable fee, and supporting documentation for prerequisite satisfaction must be submitted for review. The applicant will be notified in writing of the decision.

Oklahoma

Although standards may vary by department, generally applicants to become a firefighter in Oklahoma must:
   •  Be at least 18 years of age
   •  Hold a valid Oklahoma driver’s license
   •  Pass a background check
   •  Have a high school diploma or GED
   •  Must live within a 30-minute drive of their local fire department

Applicants must also pass a written examination that assess basic reading and math skills. Some departments may give former service members with honorable discharges and active-duty reservists or National Guardsmen a five-point preferential final exam score addition. Applicants must also pass a physical skill assessment and a comprehensive medical exam. Emergency Medical Technician licensure is a precondition to become employed and maintain that employment. Most local departments incorporate EMT certification training into their firefighter training. Applicant must also pass a background check that includes a full set of the candidate’s fingerprints followed by a thorough criminal history check. This may also include a polygraph test. Oklahoma State University offers International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC) and National Board of Fire Service Professional Qualifications (NPQS) accredited firefighter training.

Reciprocity

Candidates who have received certification from another source can challenge forOklahoma certification. To do this they must:
   •  Document this training on a Training Verification Form. This form must be completed by the candidate’s fire chief/employer (or designee)
   •  Receive prior approval from the Certification Manager. The Certification Manager may deny any challenge requests that are not received at least ten (10) working days prior to the exam
   •  Candidates may only take challenge exams during scheduled certification exams.
For more about the challenge exams in Oklahoma visit here

Texas

The mission of the Texas Commission on Fire Protection is to aid in the protection of lives and property of Texas citizens through the development and enforcement of recognized professional standards for individuals and the fire service. The basic requirements to become a firefighter in Texas include:

   •     •  High School Diploma or GED equivalent. College Diplomas will not serve in place of either.
   •  Copy of Military Discharge Papers if applicable. Dishonorable Discharges are heavily scrutinized if not flat out disqualified depending on the location
   •  Valid Current Driver’s License
   •  Certification Issued by the Texas Commission on Fire Protection or proof of enrollment as a recruit in the fire training academy as approved by the Texas Commission on Fire Protection
   •  A Copy of your EMT Certificate Issued by the Texas Department of Health Services or proof you are enrolled in an EMT course approved by the Texas Department of State Health Services
   •  Pass a Criminal Background Check.

There are several firefighter training facilities in a state as large as Texas. Texas A&M Extension Service offers a Firefighter Recruit Entry Level Academy where students undergo a 12-week program of classroom and physical hands-on training. Upon completion, cadets are eligible to earn IFSAC and Pro Board Certifications in Firefighter I, Firefighter II, Hazardous Materials Awareness, and Hazardous Materials Operations. Check with the fire certification agency in the area where you intend to seek employment to learn what qualifications are required.

Reciprocity

Reciprocity in Texas varies depending on whether the jurisdiction you previously worked for is an IFSAC or non-IFSAC jurisdiction.
If coming from an IFSAC jurisdiction, submit the following:
   •  A copy of your Fire Fighter II IFSAC seal
   •  Documentation of completed equivalent medical training (ECA, EMT or Paramedic) or certification (Texas Department of State Health Services or National Registry). A copy of your certificate of completion from the training or your actual certification card would be acceptable documentation
   •  A completed Form TCFP-002, Application for Certification (including completion of the fingerprint criminal history check, when applicable)
   •  An $85 certification fee.

If coming from a non-IFSAC jurisdiction:
   •  Find out if your training is equivalent to Texas requirements
   •  Complete the commission-designated skill evaluation process
   •  Pass the commission examination in the discipline for which you are seeking certification
   •  Determine whether you meet any additional certification requirements.
For details on reciprocity in Texas visit here.

Cover- February 2018

At the Ready Magazine 2 — Wed, 31 Jan 2018 23:43:37 +0000

Intro to February 2018 Issue

At the Ready Magazine 2 — Wed, 31 Jan 2018 23:42:20 +0000

Welcome to February! This month we are talking about the incredibly tough places for safety and rescue; Subterranean Spaces. Mining as an industry is performed in almost every country in the world. According to the 2017 World Mining Congress Data 17,269,688,784 Metric Tons of minerals were produced globally in 2015, by 163 countries,valued at approximately $3,584,418,000.00 (Not including diamonds). Subterranean spaces include underground spaces that are not mines as well. Other challenging underground spaces include the subways and tunnels in many of the world's larger cities. Underground spaces can be created through natural or man made disasters. Think earthquakes, mudslides, or the September 11th World Trade Center attack. It is a much overlooked specialty in the first responder world, a specialty with dangerous conditions for firefighting, medical rescue, and law enforcement investigation, as well as the almost obvious high risk for injury and death that comes with working underground.

This month, we want to increase the awareness of subterranean responses to those who do not currently have a large sector of underground industries, and to bring a discussion surrounding the future spaces. Experts have been discussing underground cities as the next location for future development for years. We offer our readers, Injury Trends in Mining , At the Resource: Technical Rescue Awareness, and a thoughtful look forward with, If the Future is Underground, It is Closer Than You Think. This is also the month of love. At the Ready Thought Leader Robert Avsec brings a timely and important mental perspective for our readers in Stop Romanticizing Firefighting.

I also want to use the intro platform I have been given to take a moment and thank our readers and give an update on our reach. At the Ready Magazine is coded to be translatable into any Google language using their translate feature. This allows us to reach first responders everywhere by removing the language barrier as much as we can. We believe that the professions we cover, those that respond first, are without borders. Every place on the map has natural and man-made disasters and dedicated people, whether in volunteer, hybrid organization, or paid positions, who put themselves aside to help those in crisis. We know this. This is the philosophy of why we do what we do, and why we are always free online. Our subscriptions to the RSS feed have doubled in just a few months, and we are continuing to grow globally in great strides. Thank you.

We also want to extend an invitation to our readers, and others who are part of this global network of responding. If you want to write for our audience, send articles to submissions@atthereadymag.com and don't forget to send in your questions and comments at mailbag@atthereadymag.com. Have a safe and wonderful February.

Warm Regards,
Dawn

If the Future is Underground, It is Closer Than You Think

At the Ready Magazine 2 — Wed, 31 Jan 2018 23:39:56 +0000

By Mike Kennedy

Leon Neyfakh wrote an interesting article in the Boston Globe in 2012 entitled, Our Underground Future. Buried nuclear plants? Subterranean stadiums? The next great frontier may just lie beneath our feet. In the article he states, “The long-term vision is one in which the surface of the earth is reserved for the things we want to see and be around—houses, schools, yards, parks—while all the other facilities that are needed to make a city run, from water treatment plants to data banks to freight systems, hum away underground.” The foundation of Mr. Neyfakh’s article is that overcrowding in the big cities and the ever-rising costs of real estate on the surface are causing urban planners from across the globe to consider better ways to use it and the space under the surface. Anyone who lives in a big city can attest to one of the main reasons Neyfakh cites for all the talk of going underground: population boom. In 2015, the world population was 7.3 billion, but United Nations estimates project the population will be 8.5 billion by 2030, 9.7 billion in 2050 and 11.2 billion in 2100 . It’s simple math then: the more people who live in the world; the more houses or apartments (and food and water) must be available.

Increased population and population densities are the major reasons why people are thinking about building underground in the future, especially in the big cities. Take New York City, for example. The New York City Department of City Planning website states that “The U.S. Census Bureau has estimated New York City’s population at 8,537,673, as of July 2016. This represented an increase of 362,500 residents (or 4.4 percent) over the April 2010 decennial census count of 8,175,133. The city has not witnessed such a robust pace of growth in over a half-century.” Think about this for just a minute. A population increase of 362,500 people equates to moving the population of nearly two Columbus, Georgias (the city where I lived for 25 years, population 189,885) or 33.4 Van Wert, Ohios (my hometown and the city I just moved back to, population 10,846) to New York City. Staggering for sure, but what gives more credence to our major cities going underground in the future is population density. Again, from the New York City Department of City Planning, “New York has the highest population density of any major city in the United States, with over 27,000 people per square mile.”

To understand how crowded New York City really is, lets stretch our thinking a bit further. There are 27,878,400 square feet in a square mile. If we divided just one square mile up equally among the 27,000 people living within it, each person would get just over 1000 square feet all to themselves. The rental house we are staying in temporarily is 900 square feet; trust me, 1000 square feet is not very much space for you and your family. Now, I realize, that with skyscrapers and such, New York’s square miles would be better represented by cubic miles, but my point is still clear. It’s no wonder then that New York City is one of the places where people are talking about going underground.

We have all seen pictures of crowded big city sidewalks. Some of us walk these sidewalks every day, working our way quietly through a sea of humanity, largely minding our own business as we try to get where we are going. It is an everyday scene in the big city: hundreds of thousands of people scurrying the surface is a sight to behold, but what we can sometimes forget is that nearly the same scene is occurring under the surface. Every day more than 4.3 million people ride the New York City subway (Tokyo, Japan’s subway system is the busiest in the world where 8.7 million people ride it every day.)

Since we are talking about New York City and going underground, did you know that the New York City subway system has 842 miles of track, 443 of which are underground. The subway system also has 14 underwater tunnels covering 145 miles. To put this in perspective, if laid end to end alongside I-75, the New York City subway tracks would stretch from Atlanta, Georgia to Sterling, Michigan, and then some. If just the underground portions of the tracks were laid end to end, they would stretch from Atlanta to Florence, Kentucky. If the future is underground, then in New York City, the future is now. The New York City subway system opened 113 years ago, and that is a greater part of the potential problem. Everything wears out over time, including subway tunnels. Imagine the magnitude of disaster, and the ensuing necessary response, if a subway tunnel collapsed.

The New York subway system is not the only major transit system that is underground in New York. There are also a several tunnels for automobile travel. The Brooklyn Battery Tunnel for instance, is part of I-478 and is 1.7 miles long. Every day an average of more than 54,000 vehicles pass through both sides of the tunnel.

Since New York City is but one of about 20,000 United States cities or towns, we have to take a deeper look at the long-term vision Neyfakh wrote about in his article, so we can understand what our underground future might look like. But first, I think it is safe to say that, by and large, any underground future that is more underground than it already is will be seen in the big cities and not the smaller towns.

Meanwhile, a lot of the move to underground that has already occurred is overseas. For example, citizens of Almere, Netherlands, use an underground tunnel of suction tubes, similar to the ones banks use in their drive throughs, that move their trash rapidly out of the city. No garbage trucks necessary for them. In Malaysia, floodwater is discharged through underground highway tunnels. In Germany, a former iron mine was converted into a nuclear waste repository, and scientists from across the globe are looking at ways to build underground nuclear power plants. Hong Kong is probably the city that is closest to what Neyfakh describes as the long term goal. City officials there are trying to put government facilities like sewage treatment plants, water reservoirs, fuel storage depots and the like, underground.

There are other reasons for going underground and anyone who has ever sat through traffic in any major city can relate. Perhaps the most ambitious plan for moving underground comes from the mind, and the money, of Elon Musk. Mr. Musk recently started https://www.boringcompany.com/ The Boring Company. What the company is doing is far from boring. From their website: “to solve the problem of soul-destroying traffic, roads must go 3D, which means either flying cars or tunnels. A large network of tunnels many levels deep would fix congestion in any city, no matter how large it grew (just keep adding levels).” Interestingly, the goal is not to just build roads in these tunnels, but a hyperloop. The https://www.boringcompany.com/faq/ hyperloop is “is an ultra high-speed underground public transportation system in which passengers are transported on autonomous electric pods traveling at 600+ miles per hour in a pressurized cabin. Hyperloop pods will transport between 8 and 16 passengers (mass transit), or a single passenger vehicle.”

In the end, this author has nothing against futuristic plans like those discussed here. If the Jetsons want to go underground to beat the traffic, I say go for it. However, since underground rescue is among the most dangerous type of rescue today, one can imagine future underground rescue being even more dangerous. Here’s hoping we are ready.

About the Author Mike Kennedy is a frequent contributor to At the Ready Magazine. He is a former Airborne Ranger Infantryman and after the Army spent fourteen years working for the U.S. Army Maneuver Battle as an Experimentation Manager, where he routinely worked with Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Robotic Systems-Joint Project Office, Aviation and Missile Research Development and Engineering Center and numerous other government labs to develop and test new equipment and concepts designed to make Soldier’s lives better. At the Battle Lab, Mike managed and supervised the execution of experiments, data collection procedures, analysis of raw data and presentation of results in written form for Army decision makers. He personally planned, coordinated, and executed more than 80 unmanned systems experimentation events. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from American Military University. Mike’s professional training includes the Test and Evaluation Basic Course, Project Management, Scheduling and Cost Control, Advanced Techniques of Project Management, Fundamentals of Systems Acquisition Management, Capabilities Based Planning, Business Case Analysis, and the Army Capabilities Development Course. He can be reached at mkennedy@atthereadymag.com

Injury Trends in Mining

At the Ready Magazine 2 — Wed, 31 Jan 2018 23:37:58 +0000

Submitted by At the Ready Staff

Since the earliest days of mining, the job of digging coal and other useful minerals out of the earth has been considered one of the world's most dangerous occupations. During the twentieth century, public concern about the toll of deaths, injuries and destruction in mine accidents prompted passage of much-needed safety legislation and intensified the search for safer methods and improved training practices and technology. Today, mine safety and health legislation and advances in technology and training have reduced mining deaths and injuries from earlier high levels. However, any mining death or injury is still unacceptable.

The Tragic Early Toll
From 1880 to 1910, mine explosions and other accidents claimed thousands of victims. The deadliest year in U.S. coal mining history was 1907, when an estimated 3,242 deaths occurred. That year, America's worst mine explosion ever killed 358 people near Monongah, WV. While metal and nonmetal (non-coal) mining was less deadly than coal mining, available records for the era show that it, too, was highly hazardous. Fires, explosions and roof falls caused many deaths and injuries. One of the deadliest non-coal mining accidents involved a mine fire in Montana that killed 163 miners in 1917.

Decades of Difficult but Impressive Progress
Total deaths in all types of U.S. mining, which had averaged 1,500 or more per year during earlier decades, decreased on average during the 1990s to under 100 per year, and reached historic lows of 35 total deaths in 2009 and 2012. The average annual injuries to miners in all segments of the mining industry have also decreased steadily.

While annual coal mining deaths numbered more than 1,000 a year in the early part of the 20th century, they decreased to an average of about 451 annual fatalities in the 1950s, and to 141 in the 1970s. From 2006-2010, the yearly average number of fatalities in coal mining decreased to 35. In 2009, there were 18 recorded coal mining deaths, a record low number. Sadly, coal mining fatalities dramatically increased to 48 in 2010, with the tragedy at the Upper Big Branch Mine claiming 29 lives in addition to the 19 other coal miners killed that year. In 2011, 21 coal miners were killed in accidents. 2012 saw 19 coal miners killed in accidents.

The safety gains in metal and nonmetal mining have also been impressive. In the 1930s, an average of 233 miners died per year in the non-coal mining sector, compared to an average of 24 fatalities per year from 2006-2010. In 2009, mining fatalities in this sector reached a then-record low of 17. 2010 saw 23 metal and nonmetal miners killed in accidents. Record low fatalities of 16 in 2011 and 16 in 2012 show the continuing gains in metal and nonmetal mine safety.

Significant reductions in rates of mining deaths also have been achieved over the years.

With each passing decade, the annual rates of mining deaths and injuries (measuring numbers of deaths and injuries against hours worked) have declined.

The rate of coal mining deaths decreased from about .2000 fatalities per 200,000 hours worked by miners (or one death per million production hours) in 1970 to about .0587 fatalities in 1980. It further dropped to about .0425 in 1990, then dropped again to about .0393 fatalities in 2000.

The metal and nonmetal mining death rate per 200,000 employee hours decreased from about 0.620 fatalities in 1970 to about .0381 fatalities in 1980. It further dropped to about .0261 in 1990, then dropped again to about to .0218 fatalities in 2000.

In 2011, fatality and injury rates were the lowest ever recorded. The fatal injury rate for mining as a whole was .0114 per 200,000 hours worked, and the all-injury rate was 2.73 per 200,000 hours worked, down from .0234 and 2.81, respectively, in 2010. In the metal/nonmetal mining sector, the fatal injury rate was .0084 per 200,000 hours worked, and the all-injury rate was 2.28 per 200,000 hours worked, down from .0129 and 2.37, respectively, in 2010. In the coal mining sector, the fatal injury rate was .0156 per 200,000 hours worked, and the all-injury rate was 3.38 per 200,000 hours worked, down from .0384 and 3.43, respectively, in 2010.

Entire Mining Community Involved in Safety Gains
A combination of factors has been responsible for the dramatic safety gains in the U.S. mining industry over the last century. The major elements of these accomplishments have been:
   •  Congressional creation in 1910 of the U.S. Bureau of Mines, whose primary roles were to investigate accidents, advise industry, conduct production and safety research and teach courses in accident prevention, first aid and mine rescue;
   •  Federal and state laws to better advise and regulate the mining industry, to extend coverage to all types of miners, to require or encourage use of successful safety procedures and technology, to provide effective miner training, and to focus on reducing or eliminating the most serious hazards. The most far-reaching laws were the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969, the more comprehensive Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 (Mine Act), and the most recent, Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act of 2006 (MINER Act);
   •  Creation in 1973 of the Mining Enforcement and Safety Administration in the Department of the Interior, which assumed safety and health enforcement responsibilities from the Bureau of Mines. And four years later, following passage of the Mine Act, creation of the present Mine Safety and Health Administration, which was moved to the Department of Labor; and
   •  Introduction of vastly safer and more productive mining machines and systems, ever-safer mining methods, a growing awareness of the importance of effective accident prevention programs among both management and miners, and a more cooperative attitude toward safety issues by the mining industry, labor and government.

For more information, contact:
Program Education and Outreach Services, MSHA Headquarters, Arlington, VA, (202) 693-9400;Your local MSHA office (check your local phone book under "U.S. Government"); or The MSHA internet homepage at http://www.msha.gov

At the Ready Thought Leadership: Stop Romanticizing Firefighting

At the Ready Magazine 2 — Wed, 31 Jan 2018 23:30:11 +0000

By: Robert Avsec, Executive Fire Officer
This article originally appeared March 10, 2015 on Fire & EMS Leader Pro and is used with permission.

If I read one more article or blog post that starts out with something like, “Firefighting has been and always will be a dangerous job and we accept the risks when we take the job…”, I think I’m going to “puke.”

That got your attention, right? So let me get right to my point in writing this piece. Until we stop romanticizing the job of a firefighter with “how it used to be”, we will never get the current and future generations of firefighters to understand—really understand and take it to heart—that when you look at the facts, the vast majority of risks in the business of firefighting should have gone the way of the dodo bird. They should be extinct.

We have the knowledge, skills, equipment and technology to make it so; what we continue to lack is the willingness to let go of the past and lead, guide and direct today’s firefighters into a new era. A new era where:
   •  Every firefighter, everywhere is seated and belted whenever they’re on a vehicle that’s in motion;
   •  Every firefighter’s personal protective gear is kept free of the contaminants of fire through proper cleaning after every call;
   •  Every firefighter wears their breathing apparatus and is breathing cylinder air whenever they are in the hazard area—from initial fire attack through the completion of overhaul;
   •  Every Incident Commander conducts a thorough size-up of the structure, risk assessment, and develops an Incident Action Plan before they commit personnel to an interior fire attack; and
   •  Firefighter deaths and injuries are not accepted as the “cost of doing business.”

I could go on and on with additional items for the above list, but I trust you get the picture. We must stop “regaling” today’s firefighters with “how it used to be” out one side of our mouth while we tell them how they should be doing it differently today. We must make it unacceptable for any officer to utter these words to a new firefighter, “You may have learned that in the academy, but here’s how we do it in the real world.”

We will never “get there” if we continue to tell new firefighters one thing while constantly exposing them to seeing something that’s completely opposite. How’s a new firefighter supposed to accept the science that’s telling us that wearing turnout gear that’s constantly contaminated has a very real potential for causing cancer later in their life when their instructors in the academy wear turnout gear that’s severely discolored by contaminants and the faceshield on their helmet has been disfigured by heat and smoke?

How’s a new fire apparatus driver/operator supposed to accept the department’s policies on safe, effective, and efficient driving during response to emergencies when their officer and fellow firefighters are constantly reinforcing the “importance” of getting there fast because “seconds count”? Because “company pride” at being first in and getting first water on the fire is at stake with every call? Don’t believe me? Take a look Dr. Burt Clark’s excellent video on the subject, American Fire Culture: Needs Gene Therapy. I strongly urge you and everyone you know to view this video and the profound messages that Dr. Clark presents.

We will never get to a “new era” of firefighting until we make the “new ways” the new normal. I wrote on this concept in a previous blog in this space, Changing the Fire Service Culture. In that piece, I wrote how true changes in culture do not take place because we tell people to do things differently and their inherent good nature will cause them to change their behavior. Instead, true change occurs because the “new” becomes the socially acceptable “norm”.

Since the release of the U.S. Surgeon General’s 1964 report on the dangers of cigarette smoking, the American public has been well aware of the dangers of smoking to public health and the financial impact on our healthcare costs from treating smoking-related illnesses. Did people suddenly quit smoking because they did not want to get sick and die? No, they did not. Smoking rates in the U.S. did not start to decline at any meaningful rate until it started to become socially unacceptable to smoke in public setting.

If we want to make unsafe firefighting practices and operations a thing of the past, we must start taking steps to make them “socially unacceptable” to the members of the American fire service. We can only do that by first stopping our “romanticization” of our firefighting past and accepting nothing less than total commitment to moving forward to embrace the use of new information, equipment, and technologies to make the job safer, more effective, and more efficient.

Don’t believe me that we can do this? I look no further than the brave men and women of our military forces, particularly the United States Marine Corps. Probably no organization takes more pride in its past and celebrates the sacrifices and successes of its members than the Marine Corps.

But look at photographs of today’s Marines in combat operations in far away places like Afghanistan and Irag and compare them to Marines in combat operations during World War II in places like Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima. Do you think for one minute that a Drill Instructor at Paris Island would tell a group of Marine “boots” how they wished the Marine Corps hadn’t become so “pussified”?

Do you think for one minute that a Company Commander in Afghanistan would tolerate for one minute any of their personnel going on a combat patrol without ALL of their personal protective gear on and in good working order? Do you think that Company Commander would tolerate for one minute any of their subordinate Squad Leaders not following their mission guidance for the combat patrol?

We can change our fire service culture for the better. The only question is, do we really want to?

Have a question for At the Ready Thought Leadership? Email: mailbag@atthereadymag.com

About Your At the Ready Though Leadership Columnist
Batt. Chief Robert Avsec (Ret.) served with the Chesterfield (Va.) Fire & EMS Department for 26 years. He was an instructor for fire, EMS, and hazardous materials courses at the local, state and federal levels, which included more than 10 years with the National Fire Academy. Chief Avsec earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Cincinnati and his master’s degree in executive fire service leadership from Grand Canyon University. He is a 2001 graduate of the National Fire Academy's EFO Program. Contact Robert at Robert.Avsec@FireRescue1.com.

Virtual Reality: A Neat Thing for Your Phone, An Important Tool For Mine Rescue?

At the Ready Magazine 2 — Wed, 31 Jan 2018 23:25:13 +0000

We have all seen the phone commercials where a person straps on a virtual reality headpiece and freaks out over the reality part. The person in the commercials waves at things that aren’t really there and ducks at things coming at them that aren’t really there, exclaiming “whoa” or “wow” all the while. The commercials are fun and probably really help in selling phones. However, there is a lot more that virtual reality can do and it goes way beyond just being neat. Australian Mining Magazine published a piece in 2015 that explains the way beyond neat part of virtual reality. Mines Rescue; a training organization in Australia is known across Australia for its training courses that include training at heights and in confined spaces, but now are also known for their virtual reality training platforms for miners.

The company’s virtual reality training takes place in an immersive theater that provides a 360-degree view of a mine and the area around it. Coal mining is one of the most dangerous professions. When things go to the bad, the miners are really their own first responders; they have to be, when considering response times for trained fireman and other responders from the community. Regular training just cannot accurately replicate dangerous conditions like underground fires and gas explosions; that’s where virtual reality steps in. By training in the immersive virtual reality theater, Mines Rescue puts miners in those dangerous conditions without risking life and limb and trains them on how to deal with fire and/or explosion in a virtually realistic environment that replicates the conditions. In the article, Steve Tonegato, State Operations Manager of Mines Rescue, explained, “You can’t light fires underground, you can’t have smoke coming at you, and you can’t put people in high pressure situations in real mines where they have to make decisions, but you can do that here. Mixed reality is something that is very unique. People see a lot of virtual reality, especially in gaming which has sensational graphics, but this is a place where not only does everything look real, but you can also interact."

In the virtual reality simulator, assets and equipment that are to scale, can be moved in and around the mine. In the scenarios, Mines Rescue personnel set them on fire, create accidents, create smoke and the like; replicating an actual scene; all to give participants a full emergency situation that they not only see, but really experience. Several points of view are available as well that add to the reality of the experience. During the training, participants can see the mine from inside the walls, behind the longwall, from the roof, to name a few. This is very important and provides a true and complete picture of the intricacies of a mine, providing much more information than one would gather without it. With this capability, when first responders arrive at a mine accident scene the scene commander can make better informed decisions about where to place teams, the dangers they may face and places they cannot or should not go.

Various disaster scenarios can be played out in virtual reality. For instance, in the article, the author describes a scenario where a miner ruptures a methane pocket and the simulated scene fills with smoke. She says the scene was so real that because of the 3-D glasses she was wearing she was tempted to wave away the smoke that wasn’t really there. This capability, along with the others, provides the realistic component that makes training effective. At the Ready encourages readers to click on the link in the footnote and read the article themselves.

Virtual reality: The new mine safety training tool By Vicky Validakis. July 2015

At The Resource Technical Rescue Resources

At the Ready Magazine 2 — Wed, 31 Jan 2018 23:16:10 +0000

Editor’s note: Underground and technical rescue is a highly specialized field within the first responder disciplines. At the Ready is providing resources for free awareness courses for first responders online. The courses are not intended to and do not purport to train or replace training for any responder at any level of technical rescue certification.

The Virginia Task Force for Urban Search and Rescue 2 has a series of free courses online, Including Structural Collapse Awareness, Trench Rescue Awareness, Confined Space Awareness, and Critical Incident Stress Awareness.

Confined Space Awareness
An article originally published in the February 2011 issue of Occupational Health and Safety offers a free Confined Space Awareness available online. From the article, “Sometimes, confined spaces are difficult to recognize because the space does not appear hazardous or because workers enter it routinely as part of their job duties. Confined spaces can contain potential hazards that are capable of causing severe injury, illness, or death to a worker. According to data collected by the U.S. Department of Labor, 92 confined spaces fatalities occur on average per year.”

Technical Rescue Awareness

The Massachusetts Fire Chiefs Association and the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services offer a free online course, Awareness of Technical Rescue. This PowerPoint presentation includes the laws and regulations (Osha, NFPA, etc.) governing technical rescue training and operations. The slides cover the topics of rope rescue, confined space rescue, and trench rescue, and are online, and free to view.

Trench Rescue Awareness

The Michigan Region 2 offer a free Trench Rescue Awareness Course. Released in 2011, this course is online and free to everyone. The Photo to the right was taken from the Introduction slide. In 2011, This Michigan course reported that it exceeded NFPA Requirements.